He Came in a Box
by N00bcakeinc
Summary: Love RokuNami? Love sci-fi? Well, it's your lucky day! When a mysterious package ends up in the hands of Naminé, your typical 15-year-old, her life takes a whole new direction-but will it be for better or for worse? Created in celebration of RokuNami Day 2016. (Note: Slight RokuNami)
1. The First Day - Part One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, obviously.

Naminé was disrupted out of her thoughts when she heard the mailman buzz her apartment from her small kitchen. 'A package? Who sent it?' she asked herself. Standing up from the worn, wooden chair, which emitted an agonizing shriek when scrapped against the tile floor, she made her way to the speaker located next to the door that she never got around repaint. Holding down the first tiny red button, she spoke into the intercom. "Hello?" She then pressed the second button labeled, 'Listen.'

"Hi, Nami!" greeted Pence, her long-time friend for as long as she remembered.

"Hey, Pence! So, you got a package for me?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty big. It's a wooden crate, actually. Says on the box that your uncle sent it to you."

She narrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "My uncle?" Currently, he was in Radiant Garden, which right now was a science mine, with scientific discoveries being found almost every month. The only reason he wasn't taking care of his only remaining next of kin was because the mayor of Twilight Town had the brilliant idea of closing off the entire world while also not allowing any residents to leave unless given governmental permission. This course of action was implemented by the staggering rise of crime and unemployment over the past years.

Thinking that if less people came, and less people leave, then less lives and jobs would be taken as a result. Unfortunately, he was proven horrendously wrong, as in the first day, twenty-eight police officers and forty or so gangsters were killed, totaling up to an ugly sixty-eight deaths in all.

"Yeah, Ansem the Wise, right?" Pence asked.

"Yup," she confirmed. She pressed the third button, which unlocked the building door, "Be right there in a bit."

"'Kay," he replied.

Naminé twisted the brass knob and opened the white, slightly cracked door. The usual smell of cigarettes found its way into her nostrils, making her lungs protest and causing her to have a coughing fit. The thick, suffocating smoke that replaced the oxygen in the hallway made her eyes water. Closing and locking her door, she ran down several flights of whining stairs before finally meeting with her friend in the lobby.

She spotted him by a large box that was a good few inches taller than him. The sight made her eyes widen.

"Damn..." she murmured.

"My words exactly," Pence said. Going behind it, he grabbed the hand truck and leaned it towards him. "Lucky your place has an elevator."

"Very lucky," she agreed, smiling. She pressed the up button, which turned amber, letting her know that it got her request. The needle above the elevator began to lean counter-clockwise from five, to four, three, two, one...

 _Ding!_

The steel doors slid open to an empty elevator in need of some maintenance judging by the faded wallpaper and chipped wood on the wall, but otherwise fully operational. They stepped in and Naminé pressed four. They felt the elevator falter slightly before it began to hum.

"How come you didn't use the elevator to come down?" Pence asked.

"I dunno," she replied.

"You're weird."

"Aren't we all?"

"Fair enough," Pence sighed, giving up.

The elevator staggered to a stop as the number four appeared in pale turquoise on the screen above the button panel. Another cheeeful ding rang out as the doors opened. Both teenagers coughed from the fog of smothering smoke that never left the hallway like an annoying neighbor that stays over for too long.

Fishing her keys out of her gray hoodie, she unlocked the door, entered, and stepped aside to let Pence through. Once he was in, she closed the door and chucked her keys on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, he also wrote a letter," he remembered as he dug around his leather bag. He handed her an envelope that had the University of Radiant Garden logo stamped in the corner in red. The back of the letter had both of their addresses while the front said 'Read first' in cursive letters.

"Think you should read it first," he stated matter-of-factly.

She rolled her eyes and smirked, "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

"Welp, I gotta get back to work. I'll come back later if I have some free time, you working tonight?"

She shook her head, "Tomorrow; I have the graveyard shift."

"Ooh," Pence grimaced, "sorry I asked." Remembering his job, he shook his head, trying to focus.

"Okay, now I really got to go," he said, removing the base of the hand truck from underneath the heavy mystery box.

"All right, see ya soon," she said when he was nearly out the door.

"See ya," he shot back.

She closed the door and looked at the envelope she in her hand. She carefully opened the flap and plucked the actual letter itself. She sat down on the brown, hole-ridden couch and began to read what her uncle sent her...

Dearest Naminé,

I know I haven't been up-to-date with you lately, and I apologize, as there's no excuse for my lack of contact. Whether you choose to forgive me or not is entirely up to you, but that is not the reason why I wrote this letter. If all goes to plan, this letter should be accompanied by a crate, which I will explain what is in the box in the following paragraphs.

Naminé, I'm aware of how dire the situation is where you live, and I want to provide as much help as possible. I'm sorry that I could not afford a safer home for you, but until I get a raise in pay, this will have to do for now. I hope you haven't gotten yourself in any serious trouble and that you've made a friend or two, perhaps even a date as well? Nonetheless, I hope you are content with life thus far.

Now, Naminé, what that box holds is what has only been known as the dreams and goals of science fiction writers and enthusiasts everywhere. For hundreds of decades, scientists have been researching and testing day in and day out only to come to the conclusion that the object in your box was simply to advance to make; that we simply didn't have the technology available yet. Only week ago have we successfully created the technology needed to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality. Since I was head of the entire project, the department has given me the honor of allowing me to give it to the person of my choosing. I instantly thought of you, dear one. I'm hoping that with this, your life will be a bit more bearable than it was before. However, I must warn you, this is no easy task. This can either save humanity if all goes well, or break it. I put my complete trust in that you will do the right thing. I believe that you're responsible enough for such an ardous load.

Love, Ansem :)

P.S., Though I may not be there to take care of you, he can.

"He?" Naminé asked suspiciously, her heart stopping for a second.

She turned to the 6ft by 3ft (1.8m by 0.9m) crate nervously, eyeing it as if it were a wild animal that was too close for comfort. Gulping, she approached apprehensively, ready to run for it if it so much as moved a fraction of an inch. She noticed the words 'THIS SIDE UP' sideways with two parallel arrows pointing towards her right. She sighed heavily, knowing that she'll probably crush her fingers trying to lay it down.

Somehow, Naminé had managed to keep her fingers intact without the need of any help. Though it was an amateur task, she beamed with pride, feeling proud in the fact, despite her petite size, she was able to do it all on her own. Now came the stressful part: opening up Pandora's box.

She remembered the crow bar that she had in her closet, a gift from Pence. 'In case she needed it to rob a bank,' he had said. She smiled at the memory befote fetching the metal bar, then sat cross-legged, facing the box.

She inhaled deeply once more, then began to wedge the crowbar between the two planks of wood. She stood up to gain more leverage as she forced the bar downward. At first, it didn't budge until she heard a small pop and felt the strain on the other end ease.

Her large eyes became even larger as she realized that she was one step closer to possibly the extinction of the entire human population. Yet, even with that in mind, her curiosity still outweighed the fear. Then again, she was always a very curious child to begin with.

Naminé shook her head, clearing her mind and focusing on the task at hand. She repeated the same process three times until finally, she was done. She was seconds away from seeing what was inside the box.

The pale girl tried to concentrate on calming her heart, which was beating a million beats per second. Regaining her composure, she slowly and carefully lifted the plank and peered inside.

She shrieked as she dramatically kicked the box to distance herself. In the processing of kicking, her foot went underneath the plank, forcing the piece of wood to fly off like a scared bird.

On August 18th, at 10:07 a.m., Naminé niece of one of the most successful scientists of her time, was the first human to ever unbox a fully functional organism of intelligent behavior: the world's very first android.

 **A/N:** And there we have it! My very first series! I've always wanted to do one, but I've never really gotten around to putting the work into it. But finally, here's the first part. I wrote down WAY too much for the first chapter, so I split it into three parts. The second will DEFINITELY be longer than this one, so if you thought this chapter was really short, be prepared as Scar would say. Oh, and thank you very much for reading! Please review if you liked this, and if you didn't, write how I could've done better! I'm always trying to improve on my writing, so criticism is HIGHLY appreciated. Thank you once again, and I hope to see you in the next chapter!


	2. The First Day - Part Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. I also do not own 50 Shades of Grey.**

Her chest heaved up and down, trying to draw oxygen back into her lungs. Several minutes passed before she looked back at the box.

Her mind was going haywire, wondering if this was some sort of prank, then she remembered that this was Uncle Ansem she was referring to. No way would he ever do something like that- not the Ansem she knew.

"So, that's what you meant by 'he.'"

Slowly, shakily, she inched her way closer to the boy in the box, being extremely quiet as to not wake him.

The first thing she noticed was the long, stark-black lab coat (Or maybe just regular coat, considering the gray zipper and other metal accessories on the front,) that he wore. In fact, everything he wore was black: black baggy pants, black leather gloves, and massively large black boots, sneakers maybe? Come to think of it, the gloves were very large as well...

The second thing that caught her attention was his hair. God, he could pass as Cloud Strife's younger brother with that haircut alone! His golden-blond locks swooped to his right, and ended with sharp, pointy looking tips. As odd as the hairstyle was, Naminé thought he pulled the look off quite well.

She continued to inch closer still until she was at the side of the box to study his face. He was slightly pale, but otherwise looked healthy. Actually, in her opinion, he was definitely an eight or nine on the imaginary hotness scale.

Looking him up and down, she noticed a piece of blue paper barely sticking out from the styrofoam near his feet. She snatched it and read what was on the front page:

ANDROID

MODEL #: 0000-0000-0001

TYPE: GUARDIAN

Shocked by the first word alone, she flipped the page over to find a list of instructions with a head line:

"How To Imprint Your Android:"

She brushed her platium-blonde bangs away from her eyes and kept reading the list:

Step 1: Press and hold the android's left wrist. This will activate it.

She went to the other side of the case and did exactly what was written. She didn't feel a button or hear a click indicating that he had powered on, but soon enough his chest began to rise and fall. She hadn't noticed that up until that point he was motionless the entire time.

Suddenly, his eyes began to flutter open, as if he had just woken up from a long nap. His eyes were vivid pools of cobalt; so unbelievably rich in color. He slowly sat upright in a lazy, sluggish way, the way most teenagers do on Monday mornings. His sharp eyes scanned the room, analyzing his surroundings, before his gaze landed on her.

"Hello," he greeted, his voice sounding a lot more human than she had initially expected it to be.

Before saying hello back, she consulted the next step:

Step 2: Once on, it will sit up and say hello. Say hello back.

"Hi," she said, looking back at him. She decided to step a bit out of line.

"What's your name?" she asked, although she had an idea of what his response would be.

"I don't have a name. My owner is supposed to name me," he replied flatly.

"Oh," was all she could say. She looked back down again:

Step 3: Hold the android's hand -either one- and recite the following three words in the order that is written:

1) IMPRINT

2) OWNER

3) PROTECT

Sucking in her breath, she steeled herself for what may come and took his hand in hers. Looking him straight in the eyes, she repeated the three words clearly:

"Imprint. Owner. Protect."

Almost as soon as the last word left her lips, his eyes flared a light sky-blue, causing her to instinctively shield her eyes with her other hand. Then, all of a sudden, the light show ended just as soon as it had started.

Dropping her hand, she blinked a few times to allow her eyes to readjust. Once it did, she stared at him annoyingly.

"What the hell was that?!" she screeched.

"The conclusion of the Imprinting Process, Owner," he answered her.

She made a sound of disgust upon hearing the last word.

"Please don't call me that. It sounds too sexual, like I'm your master or mistress, or something of that caliber. Just call me Naminé from now on," she said casually, as if she were introducing herself to a new student in school.

"Naminé..." he repeated the name, trying it out with a foreign tone.

"So, um, guess we should give you a name; unless you want to be called 'you' all the time." He nodded in agreement.

"Uh... Well..." she tried to think of a name that had some uniqueness to it, but not to the point where it's impossible to say. Something preferably less than ten letters...

"...Roxas," she said aloud. She turned to him, "What d'ya think?"

"Sure, Roxas."

"Hey, so, do you mind me asking a couple questions?" she asked.

"Not at all," he replied.

"Okay, so... What else are you capable of, besides protecting?"

"Besides protection, my next priority is to make my owner happy," he answered.

"And besides that?"

"I can form fake emotional bonds with my owner."

"Fake?" she asked, wanting him to clarify.

"A non-living being cannot feel emotions or form any sort of attachment. However, the program and data I have allows me to mimic or fake it. The more compassionate you -my owner- are, the more human I become, or rather seem to be," he explained.

"So, what psychopaths do?"

"Well, yes, but they were human before, or were born human anyway."

"Yeah, I get it know," she said. "I have another question, but about something else."

"Go ahead."

"As a -and I use this term very loosely- slave, are there any commands that you aren't supposed to follow?"

"Only the ones that hurt or kill you, be it directly or indirectly," he answered calmly.

"What do you run on by the way? Electricity, solar energy?" she immediately asked, becoming a bit more bold.

"Nuclear energy."

"Really? You don't say..." she shifted her position so she was sitting cross-legged. "Doesn't that have a lot of complications?"

"I was made to last many years- three hundred to be exact- and since no battery so far can last that long, the scientists agreed on using nuclear power. There was some controversy, but eventually they all agreed," he informed.

"But, doesn't nuclear fission produce, like, enormous explosions?" she questioned.

"Yes, but recently scientists have found a way to shrink the explosion, which is why my metal frame is virtually indestructible. In addition, each blast is carefully controlled via a mini-robot computer."

"You know a lot about how you were made. Sounds like you actually watched the whole entire process," she pointed out.

"Everyone who was a part of the project uploaded all of their reports into a chip, which is now in one of my memory drives. They were very careful to include even the tiniest of details."

"Huh, a lot of work went into making you, that's for sure," Naminé said, getting up from the floor. She let go of his hand, which she had conveniently been holding for the entire conversation.

"I'd ask more, but I gotta buy some groceries," she said as she grabbed her wallet off the kitchen counter. "Usually, I drag Pence with me, but since he's at work, and you're here, d'you mind comin' with me?"

Roxas shook his head, saying he didn't mind.

"Cool, just let me find my keys and then we'll leave," she smiled. While on the search for her missing keys, Roxas climbed out the crate, folding the blue paper, which she had left on the floor, and placed it in his nearly invisible pockets.

"I just realized I left them on the corner, I'm so fucking stu-" she instantly silenced upon seeing the way he towered above her pitiful 5' 2" (1.5m roughly) form.

"Goddamnit, I was hoping were we at least equal," she sighed.

"Oh, but before we go..." she trailed off, dragging the significantly lighter box into her room.

"There we go," she said. "Just in case someone decides to visit," she explained to him.

"All right, NOW we can finally leave."

With that being said, she opened the door, let him through, and locked it behind her. She then turned to him.

"If anyone askes who you are, just say you're a friend who's crashing at my place for a few weeks, got it?" she whispered to him, despite being the only people in the hallway.

"Got it."

"Good," she said. The smell of death once again strangled her lungs.

"Let's go," she coughed. Thus, both blondies hastily ran down the stairs, Naminé once again forgetting the elevator's existence. Once outside, she took hold of the android's wrist. "Don't want'cha gettin' lost," she explained to him.

A couple blocks later, just as they were about to walk through the automatic doors, she heard someone calling her name. She immediately recognized the voice a nanosecond later.

"Pence," she greeted, quickly dropping the android's wrist, trying to keep herself cool and collected.

"Hey, I was just on the way to your place. Work ended a little early, so I thought I'd drop by," he turned to Roxas, who was discreetly scanning him to determine if he was a threat to Naminé. He didn't look like he could do much...

"And you are...?"

"Roxas, nice to meet you," he answered, offering a hand for him to shake. Pence smiled and shook it. "Likewise, Roxas."

He turned back to Naminé with a smug grin on his face. "So, I don't recall you having a boyfriend, Nami~" She swatted his arm, hard.

"Piss off, he's a friend from middle school. He's just crashing at my place 'til he gets back on his feet." Roxas nodded to confirm.

"Oh, really? Well, you've never mentioned him up until now. And where was he during high school? Did you forget who you're talking to? We've been friends since kindergarten! Plus, I took all the school pictures in freshman year," he pointed to the instant picture camera that hung around his neck for emphasis. "Trust me, I could never forget hair like that! No offense."

"None taken."

"So, what's your excuse?" Pence asked her again, deliberately putting her on the spot. She hesitated, trying to think of a good reason for his school-year long absence. She urged herself to think if something- anything!

"My parents sent sent me to a private high school. They thought that it'd be safer for me, what with all the crime that's been happening over the past few years. It's the exact same, though. If anything they're just wasting their own money," Roxas lied.

"Well, can't blame them for at least trying. It's what they're supposed to do, anyways." He looked as though he remembered something and then began to cough awkwardly.

"Ah, sorry, Naminé," he said with an apologetic smile.

"It's cool... Wait, actually..." she turned to him with a smirk. "You can pay me back by helping Roxas and me with groceries."

The brunette's shoulders slumped. "Are you serious?"

"You want me to forgive you, don't you?"

He sighed. "Fine, but only because I'm that nice of a person."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He stuck his tongue out childishly and walked into the store. Before she went in, she hung back to talk to Roxas privately.

"That was some good quick thinking you did there, and you sounded so... Normal..."

"I was programmed with some sense of casual conversation and currrent events, but I also learn from you. Granted, I'm not perfect at blending in, but I know enough to get me by."

"Right, the mimicking. Well, you would've fooled me for sure. Anyways, we should go, or else Pence'll probably tease me about making out with you, or some shit like that." He nodded curtly. With that, they both stepped into the refreshing, air-conditioned store.

After an hour full of youthful squeals, chases, and incoherent screams that caused a few murderous glances to be thrown their way, the trio finally managed to buy what they needed and go to Naminé's apartment, all the while mocking each other.

As soon as she opened the door, Pence collapsed on the gray carpet, heaving as if he had just ran an entire 10-K marathon. Naminé kicked his side.

"Get up, lazy bum, it's only-" she checked the clock mounted above the TV, "eleven twenty-seven, and you haven't even put away the groceries."

"Aaaagghhhh..."

"Quit whining, you had tons of energy at the grocery store, what happened to that?"

"I wasted it all there..."

She rolled her eyes. "At least Roxas isn't complaining like a baby," she gestured to said person, who was already putting away the food.

"He's your boyfriend, he's supposed to suck it up," his muffled voice spoke. "Oh, by the way," he got up on his forearms, "what'd the big-ass box have?"

"Just a lamp that my uncle thought looked nice," she made up on the fly, internally wondering why she couldn't have done the same earlier.

"Oh, that's lame."

"Yup," she agreed, grabbing his bag of groceries and joining Roxas.

At half past eleven, Naminé, Pence, and Roxas all slumped into the worn-out couch, finally done with the groceries. Suddenly, Pence sat up, an idea popping into his head.

"Hey, I have 50 Shades of Grey at my place, wanna watch it?"

"How'd you get that? Don't you have to be at least seventeen?"

"I've introduced you to Hayner, right?"

"Yeah: blond, acts tough, but he's actually nice when you get to know him."

"Yeah, him. Well, he sold it to me for six bucks! Pretty good deal if you ask me. He used to sell DVDs during school, but know he sells 'em at the Sandlot. Hell, even Seifer has bought some."

"Really? That's surprising..."

"Who's Seifer?' Roxas asked.

"A pompous asshole who has some illusional superiority complex," Naminé answered.

"Couldn't have said it any better," Pence smiled. "So, how 'bout it? Do you wanna watch it?"

"Mm, let's do it later, 'round six. It'll make the experience more realistic," she smirked.

"'Kay, six it is, then," he turned to Roxas.

"You can come too, if you want," he offered.

"Wherever Naminé goes, I guess," Roxas shrugged in reply.

"Cool. Well, I'm gonna go home. I'm beat," Pence said, getting up.

"See ya," Naminé said.

He put his right hand up in acknowledgment, leaving the apartment.

She immediately turned to Roxas. "All right, now for some Q and A."

Many questions later, she looked back at the clock, its hands displaying twelve ten.

"Guess it's about time to eat. Can you eat or will that mess up your insides?"

He shook his head. "I already get energy from nuclear fission, so I'm not designed to eat or drink."

"Yeah, that makes sense," she concured, going into the kitchen and pouring hot water into a cup of chicken-flavored ramen. While she waited, she decided to ask another question.

"Sorry for talkin' your ear off, but I got another question."

"No need to apologize. I'm your android after all. Feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like."

"Even if you are an android, I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of bossing someone around, human or otherwise. It feels weird, and I don't wanna turn into some control freak."

"I'm not sure how to repond to that, but what was your question?" he asked, changing the subject.

Dropping the subject as well, Naminé took several seconds to word her sentence correctly.

"So, before you were talking about how you can form fake attachments, right?"

"Correct."

"So, would that require physical contact, like, hugging and shit?"

"It's not mandatory, but it would make the bond stronger."

"Hm, okay, just wanted to know," she said, looking down at the carpet.

"Oh, and one more thing," she said, looking up at the spiky-haired android once again. "Since your main purpose is to protect -and if circumstances were bad enough- you'd kill, right?"

"Yes, but not unless you tell me not to," he cooly replied.

"And there's no chance of you glitching the fuck out and just start slaughtering people?"

"Not unless someone hacks into me."

She smiled. "Good, 'cause if you were to hurt Pence, I'd personally see to it that every single wire in your body is ripped out."

"I see that you care a lot about him," he said, not so much as acknowledging the threat.

"Course I do. He's the only friend that's stuck by me after all these years. He and his family had even helped me through hard times. Even though we act like assholes to each other, it's all in good fun. 'Sides, we're pratically siblings at this point," she smiled, feeling reminiscent as she talked. She suddenly began to chuckle as she remembered their middle school days.

"Actually, he might've had a crush on my during most of middle school. He'd suddenly get really nervous when he'd talk to me, which I thought was weird because we've been friends since kindergarten. It's not like we were strangers or anything. I'm pretty sure he got over it, though. Right now I think he likes Olette, one of his other friends -she's pretty much the mother of the group- but from what he says she may like Hayner. I'm not too sure."

She suddenly realized how long she'd been talking. "Ah, sorry, didn't mean to get carried away," she apologized.

"You don't need to apologize."

"Sor- fuck. It's a force of habit."

"I see..."

She remembered the cup of ramen that she had made just a few minutes ago and quickly went to retrieve it. Sitting next to him on the couch, she twirled the noodles onto her fork.

"Can you smile?" she randomly asked.

"Yes."

"Do it," she requested eagerly.

He follow her command and flashed his pearly-whites in a small smile.

Naminé wolf-whistled. "See, if you went to my school, you'd constantly be surrounded by girls, maybe even a couple guys here and there."

"I assume that's a good thing?"

"Yes, definitely. It means you're desirable."

"Would you be one of the people in the theoretical crowd?"

"Well, depends if we knew each other or not."

"If we didn't."

"Then I wouldn't necessarily be in the crowd, but I'd definitely be stealing a few glances if we were in the same class," she stated without apprehension. A moment of awkward silence passed.

"So... What do you wanna do know?" she asked before shoving more noodles into her mouth.

"I'm not sure, I'm supposed to do whatever you want me to do," he reminded.

Swallowing, she asked, "Don't you have a free will program or unit or something like that?"

Shaking his head, he said, "The only other thing I obey besides your commands are the guidelines that tell me what I can and can't do," he explained. "In other words, no."

"Doesn't that, I dunno," her face visibly showed her struggle to find the right words, "bother you, or annoy you?" she finally said.

"How can I when I don't have a mind of my own?"

She decided to change the subject once again. "Can you lie, to your owner I mean."

"If the lie ensures your survival, yes."

"I get that you're android, but do you always have to sound so analytical? I mean, if that's the only way you can talk, then that's okay, but how come the only time you sounded remotely normal was when you were talking to Pence?"

"No, I don't have to word things this way, and the reason why I sounded normal is because whenever I talk to someone who isn't my owner, I'm automatically told to speak as human as possible. I'm supposed to be a secret until androids have been publicly announced in a positive manner."

Listening to his words, she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that makes sense." She shoved another noodle-wrapped fork in her mouth. Drinking the rest of the liquid, she threw the styrofoam cup into a trash can and washed her utensil.

Sitting back down on the ugly couch, gave a long, heavy, boredom-filled sigh. She looked back at the ticking clock.

"It's only twelve twenty-five..." she groaned, propping her chin in her hand.

That problem was solved in less than a minute as she perked up three seconds later. "You know what? Why don't I show you 'round town? It's not that big, but since you're living with me you might as well get to know the place. Hell, maybe you can even get a job to help pay the rent. Well, actually, my uncle pays most of it, and I help, but it never hurts to have extra."

Getting up, she grabbed her keys and wallet from their usual places and dragged him outside, not even bothering to ask for his consent.

In two hours time, they walked around a majority of Twilight Town, touring the town of ever-lasting dusk. She pointed out some popular shops in the market place of the area, and informed him as much as she knew about the stores, such as who owned it, who worked there, etc. Along with that, she told him some of the areas he should be wary of, which unfortunately included their living area. On the way back, she bought herself a sea-salt flavored ice cream bar, a sweet and salty treat that has lately become a prominent flavor amongst the townsfolk. Waving a small good-bye to the man behind the counter, she walked back outside into the scorching heat of the summer sun. She saw Roxas leaning with his back against the one of the milky-white stone pillars that supported the overhead concrete roof.

"So, what do you think? Like it here?" she asked, licking the ice pop, as only the spawn of Satan could bite into one without immediately cringing from the pain.

"Well, it's very... tranquil. Almost everyone seems to be at ease here, and they're very friendly, despite the amount of crime that's been happening."

"So, I take it that's a yes?"

He shrugged. "I suppose."

She sneered. "And they say girls are never straight forward." She soon finished the snack and turned the stick over. No free ice creams today. 'Maybe next time,' she thought.

Before entering the apartment building, she tugged his sleeve and pointed towards a building across the street.

"I work at that fabric store. I got the job a couple of weeks ago. It's pretty quiet most of the time, so I'm usually not overwhelmed by customers. Pence also lives in the apartments above it."

"Noted."

By the time they got back to their humble abode, it was only half past two. The girl flopped facedown onto the sofa, letting out something between a sigh and a groan. Roxas silently sat near her head.

"I'm so boooooooored..." she whined.

"Aren't we supposed to meet up with Pence later?"

"That's at six," she murmured into the cushion.

Another round of silence enveloped the two, until Roxas uncharacteristically broke the silence.

"I have a question I would like to ask you a question, if you're okay with me asking."

Her head shot up as if she had just heard that she'd won the lottery. She slowly bobbed her head up and down.

"Yeah, of course, go ahead," she insisted, sitting up.

"For the past four hours or so since you've powered me on, for the most part you have been treating me as if I was just another human being. As if you didn't find me in a box. I thought you would've take at least more than a couple days for you to adjust, yet here we are, casually talking, as if that lie were true, and that I really am just a friend living in your apartment. How- no, why are you so kind to me?" he said, fixating his piercing eyes at her.

She blinked a bit, taken aback from his whole speech. Finally, she answered him.

"Uh... I don't know why I accepted you as easily as I did. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't really resent the idea of living with someone else. I guess it's just my nature, or something like that. But, you know, I've never personally considered myself to be a nice person, so... Thank you, I guess.." she finished, smiling a little at the end.

"Welcome," he calmly answered.

"Well, it's only," she turned her head to read the time, "two thirty-five, and I'm still bored as shit."

She sighed. "Might as well watch some TV."

She picked up the remote hidden underneath the cushions and watched with Roxas right up until half past six.

When she decided it was time to go, she sprung up like a spring and dashed out the door, flying down the stairs. Meanwhile, Roxas, who wasn't in a hurry, took the keys and locked the door behind him. He then stepped into the elevator, patiently waiting to reach the ground floor.

A very irratated looking Naminé met him as soon as the doors opened. Just like before, without hesitation, she grabbed his wrist and lugged him with her.

"WE'RE HERE!" she screamed once they opened to the door to her best friend/brother's apartment. It was relatively the same size as hers, but with a drastically differently color scheme. Hers had a gloomy feel to it -save for her bedroom, which more or less looked like a mental asylum- while his had a more homey feel to it.

Pence's head popped out from a corner. "Oh, hey! The movie's in the DVD player already, I'm just making some popcorn. Make yourselves comfortable," he said, disappearing back into the kitchen.

Taking his offer, they settled themselves on his pearl-colored satin couch, with Roxas sitting to her left.

"Hey, when are your parents coming back again?" she yelled to Pence.

"Ah, I dunno, whenever the stupid rule is lifted. They're paying the rent online, so thank God for that. I think they should be in... the Pride Lands, on the animal reserve somewhere," he yelled back.

"Oh," she said to herself. "His parents are photographers, so they tend to travel a lot. They left right before the rule was enforced," she explained to Roxas.

After four beeps, Pence appeared with a bag of delicious smelling popcorn and three plastic lime-green bowls. He poured their bowls before his, being the good host that was is. He placed the semi-empty bag on the oak table in front of them.

"Ready?" he asked, a mischievous shine replacing his usually friendly caramel-brown eyes.

"Just play the damn movie already."

"Well, excuse me for trying to add a little excitment" he scoffed at her, ducking the arm that came flying at him as he pressed play.

 _ **A/N:**_ **I'm not really too sure about this chapter, honestly. Granted, I edited a lot of it while typing, but I still feel as though I could've done better. Ah, well, I'll probably just come back to it later. Also, the 50 Shades of Grey part is sort of out of place, but hey, they're teens, what do you expect them to watch? Anyways, hopefully you enjoyed the second part! Please, review if you did, and if you didn't, tell how I could've improved! Until then, I'll just be here with my crippling addiction to Unchained X. Hope to see you in the next installment!**


	3. The First Day - Part Three

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

"Well, that was pretty terrible," Pence sighed, turning off the TV and chucking the remote somewhere off to his right.

"Yeah, I sorta expected a bit more," Naminé concurred, leaning back in disappointment. "Sure, the playroom part was freaky sexy, but the rest of the movie was sort of... eh..."

"I think everyone overestimated the movie in all honesty... Oh, you didn't eat any popcorn?" The brunette asked, noticing Roxas' untouched bowl of popcorn.

"Wasn't really that hungry," he shrugged.

"Mind if I...?"

"Be my guest."

Pence hastily muttered his gratitude before attacking the buttery snack mercilessly.

"Pig," Naminé scoffed, glancing over at the DVD player's digital clock. "Well, it's eight forty-ish, I think it's time to head home."

Pence let out what Naminé assumed to be a goodbye as they egressed the boy's apartment.

This time Naminé waited for the elevator to arrive, as she wasn't particularly in the mood to walk down eight flights of stairs. Once outside, Naminé deeply inhaled the cool, crisp nighttime air. She exhaled, feeling rejuvenated and content. Besides the town's famous enchanting sunsets, it's lesser-known nights were also a spectacular sight to behold and experience. The air rarely carried the scent of exhaust or any other pollution-induced smell, save for the occasional cigarette.

"Ah, I love the way the air smells at night, 'specially in the summer. The heat's actually bearable." She sighed. "Too bad school's gonna start soon..."

When they got to the apartment, Naminé groped around for her keys, but she winded up empty-handed. She cursed audibly, remembering that she forgot them in the apartment. She felt Roxas tap her shoulder and turned to him holding the missing object out to her.

She exhaled in relief. "Thanks." After opening the door she went straight to her room.

"I'm gonna take the crate apart and see if we can use it for something later. Mind helping?"

He shook his head and the two dismantled the rectangular box. Stacking the planks of wood in her closet, she thanked him and went into the kitchen to fix herself a snack.

"Hey, can you do me a favor and throw all the styrofoam away in the trash?" she called from the kitchen.

"Of course," he replied, going back into the room to do said favor. After the task was accomplished and after she finished microwaving her macaroni and cheese, they sat on the sofa, watching various television shows through out the night.

By eleven Naminé decided that it was about time to call it a day. Turning the TV off and washing her bowl and spoon, she stretched and let out a big yawn.

"I'm gonna go to bed. Make yourself comfy on the couch. I'll bring a blanket if you want, too'" she offered in a sleepy voice.

"Actually..."

"Yup?"

"My program says that on the first night it is required that I sleep with you."

Naminé cackled with laughter, living up to one of Pence's nicknames for her: Witch.

"You have got to be messing with me!" She turned to him.

"Oh, you're being serious?" she said after she realized that he wasn't joking. 'Oh, God, this'll be one hell of a night. Well, he didn't say we had to be touching... But then again, it's not like you're ever gonna have the chance to sleep with a hot guy any time soon... God, what am I thinking?! He's an android! What kind of sick person would-"

"Okay, sure, just let me change first."

He nodded and she turned to go into her room.

'...You're a sick whore.'

She ignored herself and took off her over-sized hoodie, tossed it towards an empty corner along with her black baggy T-shirt and ripped light-blue skinny jeans. She slipped on a pair of black-and-white checkered shorts which sat low on her waist. She clipped off her bra and threw it in the pile and slipped into a light-gray tank top.

Heart beating faster, she tried to repress the devilish smile that was slowly creeping on her lips as she walked over to the door. She found Roxas sitting next to the door with his legs outstretched before him. He noticed her shortly after and stood up, awaiting her permission to go into her room.

"Come in," she said in what she hoped to be a calm, even voice. Whether it was or not, he didn't acknowledge it and walked into the room and sat by the foot of the bed.

She began to cough awkwardly. "Uh, just throwin' it out there, people usually sleep without shoes on- and guys usually sleep shirtless," she added hastily. Roxas made a quiet 'oh' before slipping his black shoes and coat off. Meanwhile the girl tried to keep her rampaging hormones in check.

'Breathe, girl, breathe.'

He neatly placed his shoes next to the door and then put his folded coat next to them. He went back to his previous place on the bed and waited for her next instructions.

"So... Like, do you want to do me sleeping on you or you sleeping on me?" she tried to ask casually.

"Whatever you'd like."

'You REALLY shouldn't say that...'

"Uh... Me sleeping on you, I guess..."

Without further delay, he used his arms to get to where she was higher up on the bed. Laying down on the soft, fluffy pillow, he waited for her to lie down, but she was too preoccupied with checking out his shirtless form. Her eyes widened exponentially when she noticed the subtle V-line near his lower abdomen.

'BREATHE.'

Luckily, she remembered that she had something to do before she went to bed. She stopped staring and got off the bed, picking up the red permanent marker on the bedside table.

"Hold up a sec," she said as she marked crossed out today's date. She circled the day as well to mark his first day of living. Maybe they could do something special for his birthday...

"There." She put the marker back on the table and settled herself besides him. She stretched her left arm over to the lamp on her side and grabbed the metal string.

"G'night," she said.

"Good night," he replied. Pulling the string, the room was flooded instantly with darkness, save for the thin shafts of amber light that snaked its way through the blinds. She closed her eyes and layed on her right facing him, or rather his shoulder.

She couldn't help herself as she scooted closer to him and lifted his arm, draping it around her shoulders. She slowly rested her head on his bare chest, wondering if it really was a good idea to. Since she'd already gone this far, she figured it didn't matter at this point. She began to relax as she tried to get some sleep, as tomorrow would be another day of who knows what.

"May I ask a question, though it may be somewhat of a personal one?" she heard him say.

"Sure," she said, beginning to think that sleep was a long ways off.

"I'd like to know what happened to your parents."

Silence settled over the room like a thick fog over a chilly, icy ocean.

"I'm sorry, I was out of line for asking such a-"

"It's fine; don't sweat it. It was just a little unexpected. So, you wanna know what happened to them? ...They died when I was nine. It was raining buckets that day, so it made it extremely hard to see through the windshield- this was back when cars were common, but since so many people have died, all of the worlds have agreed to cease production on them. My father, Eraqus... He was a good man, even I could see that. My mother, Arlene, she was very young when she had me, so she'd usually let Dad take care of me. They didn't seem like they liked each other all that much. They constantly fought, usually my dad saying that she should spend more time with me. I knew that she didn't like me, I even heard her scream at him that she should've aborted me. I didn't know what it meant at the time, but now that I do... It's okay, though. She could've done more with her life if I hadn't been born, so I can see why'd she'd hate me. It's not like everyone wants to be a parent. Besides, as long as one parent loved me, that's good enough for me."

"So, uh, long story short, they were bickering in the front seat and my dad, who was driving, lost control of the car. Everything from that point on is sorta fuzzy, but I do remember waking up in a hospital and wondering where Mom and Dad were. I knew that my mom could careless for my well-being, but she's still my mom in the end. I asked the nurse that came in where they were, and she just gave me this pitiful, sympathetic look. She didn't have to say anything to let me know that they didn't survive the accident..."

By the end of her explanation, her voice had retreated back into her burning throat. She sniffed and tried to continue speaking, but no matter how much she willed it to, her voice continued to remain hidden. Feeling embarrassed, she sat up to go into the bathroom to pull herself together, but she was surprisingly pulled back down into a protective embrace. She felt even more flustered, but a stirring in her chest told her to stay. Following the feeling, she latched onto him and buried her face into his chest. The sensation blossomed and grew, however, as pleasant as it was, she hoped that it wouldn't last too long. A tiny part of her felt shame for using him like this, although it seemed only natural given his purpose.

When her eyes had finally dried, she felt emotionally exhausted. She faced left and wrapped her pale arms around him like one would do to a pillow. His body's slow, wave-like movements lulled her to sleep, but before she did, she started to wonder why she couldn't hear a heartbeat. Then she remembered that he was an artificial being programmed to fake every single hint of an emotion that he could pretend to have, to 'feel'. In the end, he'll never be human. With that thought in mind, Naminé closed her eyes, and soon enough, drifted off to sleep on the first day.

 ** _A/N:_** And thus concludes the first day! So, we learn a bit of Naminé's history, and why Pence made that suspicious cough during part two. So far I think part two is my longest chapter yet. Anyways, I'm happy to say that things will begin to pick up the pace after this! Think of it like the beginning part of KH2 when you're playing as Roxas, and then you transition into Sora's part of the game. Well, the next chapter is the transition in this case. All in all, I hope you'll enjoy what's soon to come. Until then, please review -it helps fuel a writer's motivation- and I hope to see you in the next chapter!


	4. Ruler of the Sky

**Disclaimer** ** _:_** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.

The cheery morning sun awoke Naminé all too soon for her liking. She grumbled lightly and rubbed her face against the cool chest that she lay on.

'Wait... Chest?'

Her eyes snapped open in realization, recalling yesterday's memories in a blink of an eye. She mentally scoured herself for falling into temptation and rolled off of said temptation. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she looked behind her before standing up to see if he was awake. It startled her a bit to see him already upright. What scared her the most was how fast he got up without her noticing.

"Good morning, Naminé," he greeted politely with an adorable, charming smile. The girl couldn't help but smile back. "G'morning."

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, getting out of bed.

"After the water works, yeah," she replied, her voice sounding distant as she said so.

"That's good," he said, choosing not to comment on her abnormal tone.

"Hey, um, about last night... Thanks for listening."

"You're welcome."

"So, I'm gonna get dressed, and then I'm planning to go out after that, so if you could just leave, please." He nodded curtly and exited her room.

Taking off the tank top and slipping out of her underwear and shorts, she threw them into the open plastic hamper along with the clothes that were in the corner. She put on a fresh panties and a pair of stretchy snow shorts under her plain cotton-colored dress with spaghetti straps. The garment ended at her mid-thigh, which was a bit too revealing for her taste, but because of the blazing summer heat she decided not to stress too much about it.

Next, she stepped into the bathroom to commence her daily routine: brushing her teeth and her flaxen locks. After that she stepped out of the bedroom and looked to her right to see the android in the living room.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked as she approached him.

"Nothing in particular." He turned to face her. "You mentioned going someplace earlier?"

"Yeah, I was thinking that maybe we could go buy you some new clothes. I mean, it is kinda odd to see someone wearing a black trench coat in ninety degree heat."

"Yes, that does look suspicious, doesn't it?"

"Exactly my point, but 'fore that I'm gonna eat breakfast," she said, walking into the kitchen and reaching for the cereal at the top of the fridge.

"Would you like me to get that for you?"

"No thanks, I got it."

Ten seconds later she brought a red plastic bowl filled with toasted oats and sat across from Roxas at the small circular table.

"Oh, just lettin' you know," she took a bite out of her breakfast, "I got work today later tonight. Can you do me a favor and take care of the place while I'm gone?"

"Of course."

"Thanks," she answered before eating another spoonful.

"Anything else?"

"Mm... Nah, don't think so."

Finishing her meal, she washed the bowl and spoon and sank into the sofa. Once again, the roommates wasted the morning with regularly scheduled programming. Before she knew it, afternoon was already at their doorstep.

"Fuck, it's two already?!" she exclaimed in disbelief when she boringly glanced at the clock. "Damn, I didn't even notice, guess we should get you those clothes now."

"If you wish."

"Yes, I do wish." she said, getting off the couch and grabbing her wallet and keys.

"All right, let's get going..."

"Okay, turn around," Naminé instructed, twirling her finger. He did as he was told, and looked to Naminé for her opinion.

"Yup, I think this is the one," she smiled. It was an odd style, but much like his hair, he managed to pull it off. He had relaxed cargo pants with a black rim from the crotch up. On his torso was a black vest that had a four-pointed shuriken as the pull-tab on the zipper. On that he wore an open, white short-sleeved jacket that had thin black-and-white checkered lines going around the chest and seams of the sleeves. The sleeves themselves had a gray rim around the edges of them. In addition, he wore a wristband with a black edge and checkered patterns on his left arm along with a black ring on his index finger and a white ring on his middle. Lastly he wore gray and red shoes.

Satisfied, Naminé payed for the outfit and asked him afterwards whether he liked the wardrobe change.

"Yes, thank you for buying it for me," he said, carrying his cloak and shoes in his arms.

"You're welcome," she happily replied. Her brunette friend suddenly came to mind.

'Wonder if Pence's done with work today...' Another topic sprouted into her thoughts.

"You sound a lot more human than you did yesterday," she remarked, looking at him from the corner of her eye as they continued walking back to their home.

"Like I mentioned before, the kinder you are to me, the more human I become."

"Oh, right... So, uh, random question, can you take showers or get wet?"

"I can take showers, but it's not necessary. I don't have sweat glands, which means I don't produce odors, ergo; showering isn't needed. And, yes, I can get wet. I have skin for another reason other than appearing human."

"Hm, okay," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. When they arrived at the apartment, she went back into the kitchen and heated up a slice of frozen pizza in the oven for lunch. They waited in strained silence, Naminé trying to think of a good conversation topic to fill in awkwardness.

"You know, I could get used to this," she heard him say.

"Hm? Used to what?"

"This routine that we have: going out, watching TV, making casual conversation. It's comforting to know that not everything is unpredictable, and that no matter what, there's always something you can depend on being the same." She pensively looked at the floor, digesting his words.

"Whoa, that's some philosophical shit right there. Yeah, I guess it is nice to know that," she remarked.

Somehow, either out of boredom or lack of presence, her childhood friend came into mind.

'Well, pizza shouldn't be done for a while, might as well check up on him for a bit.'

"Hey, I'm gonna visit Pence and see if he wants to join us for lunch. Wanna come?"

He shrugged. "Sure," he said, standing up off the couch.

Pounding on the door for the fifth time in a row, Naminé was just about ready to kick it in.

"Ugh, why won't he answer?" she growled.

"Perhaps he's out," Roxas suggested, seeing the worried look on her face.

"Yeah... Yeah, that's probably it," she said more to herself than him.

After pizza, Naminé's instinct kicked in once again and they made their way back to the brunette's home. This time he opened the door after the first two knocks.

"Hey, Nambiné," Pence croaked out with an extremely stuffy nose.

"God, how the hell did you get sick?" she asked, flabbergasted.

He shrugged. "I dunno. I think it's the flu," he said, audibly sniffing.

"How do you get the flu in the summer?" He shrugged again.

"Well, do you want me to get you anything? Medicine, food?" she asked in a concerned sister-like way.

"No thanks, I'mb good," he smiled wryly.

"Okay, if you say so. Get well soon."

"Thanks," he said, closing the door.

'Poor guy...'

That evening around nine, Naminé made the decision to get some rest while she still could as a seven-hour shift awaited her later.

She kept her day clothes on as she saw no reason to change out of them yet and set up the alarm to ten-thirty. She marked the day off with an 'X' and turned off the lights, hopping into the bed and giving into its irresistible embrace. She heard Roxas come in and close the door followed by a light thud and the shuffling of clothes. The bed sank slightly to her right, then she heard his voice in the darkness.

"Would it be all right if I slept on you tonight?"

No matter how hard she tried to have a clean conscious, she couldn't hide the dirty smirk on her lips. "Yeah, go ahead."

He muttered a quiet thank you and rested his head on her chest. She flinched a little, the pressure somewhat painful as he layed down on her. He got off her as soon as she reacted.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked, his worried face illuminated by the lamppost outside.

'Wow, he actually looks really concerned...'

"Er... Just a bit, but nothing serious," she replied warily. He retreated immediately as if he had just realized that he'd committed a terrible crime. Naminé began to grow anxious.

"Hey, it's not that big a deal, it was just a mistake," she tried to reassure him.

"But I wasn't supposed to hurt you; that's not my purpose!" he said in an almost panicky voice, surprising her even more.

He continued: "I'm supposed to protect you, not harm you! That's my sole purpose for existing!" His eyes began to grow wide and his 'breathing' quickly became irregular. She had to act quickly before his behavior lead to a problem in his system. She slowly approached him the way one would approach a distraught animal. She layed a cool, comforting hand on his shoulder once she got close enough.

"Listen, accidents happen. The best thing we can do is learn from them. It's only human to slip up every once in a while, after all."

He went silent for a moment, making Naminé uneasy. Finally, he spoke:

"Sorry..."

"Apology accepted," she smiled. "Now that we got that sorted out, let's just go back to trying to sleep."

He nodded and rested on the pillow next to her.

"Sorry," she heard him say again.

"How ironic that you just told me yesterday that I apologize too much," she teased. Shortly afterwords they drifted off in peaceful slumber.

At ten o'clock, the two were aroused by the sound of wailing sirens cutting through the quiet night like a hot knife through butter.

"What the hell...?" Naminé drowsily asked, partially irratated. "What's happening?

"I'm not sure, but I suggest we go outside; quickly." She nodded and took a navy-blue hoodie from her closet and her keys while Roxas threw his coat over his bare chest and hastily put on his boots. Before they left the room she retrieved her lucky charm -a yellow star that was a gift given to her from her father- from the nightstand drawer and put it into Roxas' hands.

"Make sure to keep this inside your pocket," she ordered. He nodded affirmatively.

When she locked the apartment door, she found the hallway to be filled with just as many confused and groggy tenants as her. Her stomach churned as she made her way down the stairs along with other residents.

Out on the yellow-lighted street, she saw even more civilians parading the neighborhood. She recognized Cloud Strife and his girlfriend, Tifa, a couple streets away along with other highschoolers including Pence's friends, Hayner and Olette. Muddled murmurs arose from the throng:

"Maybe it's just a test..."

"Damn things musta gone off..."

"D-Do you think something happened?"

"Oh, we're definitely fucked now."

"It's probably just a prank a couple stupid kids pulled..."

"Citizens, the mayor has just declared a state of emergency!" A female voice rang out above the screeching alarm, silencing the crowd in an instant.

"All citizens must take shelter in the nearest nearby bunker immediately! If no bunkers are available, find the nearest basement in your area! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

Chaos broke out as she began to repeat the command, people scurrying like petrified animals as they desperately sought shelter. Naminé, however, frantically scanned for any sign of Pence, her mind running rampant.

Without hesitation she sprinted toward his building as fast as her legs could carry her, adrenaline surging through her veins, propelling her even faster. As Roxas went after her, something caught his eye amongst the solemn gray sky. Several seconds later, a noise unheard of enacted from within the clouds, forcing many to look up at the night sky in terror.

Different colored eyes bulged out of their sockets, filling them with awe. An object glided gracefully in the sky, flying as though it were an innocent bird. Its 'wings' had two cylindrical propellers in them, although they could rarely be seen as the moved so fast. The letter 'R' was circled with a black ring on its 'wing.' It slithered across the gray ocean with an authoritative aura, almost daring someone to speak against it; the great ruler of the sky.

Time resumed as the group of paralyzed civilians tripled their initial speed, viciously pushing and shoving whoever got in their way as no one wanted to the last person left alone on the streets.

The indigo-eyed teen had just started to move again when she felt Roxas grab hold of her wrist.

"We must take shelter before-"

"THERE'S NO WAY I'M GOING WITHOUT PENCE!" She abruptly yelled, furiously attempting to break free of his grasp, but failed in doing so as he only tightened his grip.

"We need to leave. NOW," he exhorted. She narrowed her passionate, fiery eyes at his apathetic icy ones.

Before she could reply, something that looked like a giant ebony egg silently fell out of the metallic bird. Seeing it, he swiftly swept her off her feet and bolted through the exodus of panicked people at a superhuman rate, not caring if someone saw him as they'd most likely die within the next seven seconds.

He found a bunker that was not filled to the brim with people and climbed down the metal ladder that was built into the concrete wall. He slightly decreased his speed to the average human adrenaline level, let her down on the floor, and climbed back up to seal the steel entrance. He turned the handle to the airlock door as far right as he could without breaking it and climbed back down.

Naminé was about to scold him for leaving so many people outside when they had plenty of time until the unforgettable feeling of a bomb embedding itself into the earth halted her and the whole room. Seconds later they heard and felt the shockwave, fervently shaking the ground with a resounding boom. More bombs were heard throughout the night, everyone hoping and praying each one was the last. Not a soul spoke that night, save for the parents that tried to soothe their children.

When Naminé looked around, the bunker had bright white circular lights installed every two feet (.06m) along the narrow corridor. The walls and ceiling were concrete while the floor was a gray travertine.

They were the only teenagers out of the whole group of thirty or so. The youngest child that she could see was around the age of four while the oldest seemed to be ten. Almost every child was cradled by either their mother, father, or both while those who had become separated from their family in the mayhem hugged their knees close to their chest, rocking back and forth, sniveling. Naminé proceeded to do the same, struggling to stay positive and strong.

Meanwhile Roxas, undeterred by the disaster, scanned the crowd, keeping a close eye on those that looked to be on the verge of a breakdown. He sensed the blonde's tenuous state of mind and sat cross-legged next to her. He copied the way the parents held their children in an attempt to comfort the traumatized girl. He plopped her sideways on his lap and rested his chin on her head, wrapping his arms around her defensively.

She appreciated the gesture, but it did little to console her. She knew for a fact that no one would ever feel safe that night.

 _ **A/N:**_ And so begins the transition. Now, I know what some of you may be thinking: Why did I mess up the protagonist's life on only the second day? Cause I needed a catalyst to set the story in motion, and what better way to start something than with a BANG. Haha, no regrets there. Anyways, about the chapter title. Fuck. That. Boss. I'd rather beat Xion's face in than relive that hell again. All right, let me stop there, Hopefullyyou enjoyed this chapter, or not. I dunno if you enjoy seeing someone's life crumble in an instant. But hey, that's life right? You never know what'll happen. Well, until the next update, I hope to see you then!


	5. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.

The night dragged on for an eternity before the last bomb dropped in the early hours of dawn. After six hours of perturbed waiting, Naminé's group concluded that the ambush had finally come to a close.

During the tension-filled hours of waiting, some took advantage of the silence and slept for as long as they could. Others tried but found that sleep was next to impossible for them now. Naminé was fortunate enough to catch a few winks before their group decided it was time to go outside.

They elected a person to open the airlock and peek outside, and when the middle-aged woman with a dark-brown bob gave the okay, Roxas hoisted her sleeping form onto his right shoulder, letting her get as much rest as she could. A line formed to climb the ladder up to the surface. Eventually it was their turn.

When they emerged from the underground shelter, they were greeted with the sight of thick clouds of debris and cream-colored dust polluting and infecting the air. Heavy white ashes blanketed all of the streets, sidewalks; the entire ground was shrouded in snow. People blindingly stumbled through the fog, their vision confined to a foot ahead of them.

Naminé awoke from her pseudo sanctuary, her bleary eyes processing the environment. At first she thought she was in some winter wonderland until she was suddenly overcome by rib-breaking coughs, her eyes stinging from all the nastiness in the atmosphere. He was about to set her down, but while he was walking he felt something underneath his shoe. He lifted his foot up and saw a sugar-powdered finger that blended in with the rest of the ground. Attached to that finger was a hand, which was attached to an arm, which was attached to a-

'Pence... Where's-' Comprehension flickered in her eyes, momentarily paralyzing her in fear. Now alert and panicking, her mind began to reel with countless questions with not enough answers to them. She began struggling to break free of his grasp, and once he let her down, she ran off like a wild animal released from its cage. He ran off after her.

"The air contains chemicals that are severely hazardous to you health, not to mention radio-"

"Don't you have a mute button?" she snapped, another racking cough escaping from her chest.

"No." She rolled her eyes.

They had finally arrived at what used to be her friend's home along with where she was about to go to work just yesterday night. She hoped to find him coming out of a bunker instead of underneath the rubble. She whipped her head right and left, trying to spot him over the large crowd that was beginning to flood the streets.

"PENCE! PENCE, WHERE A-" Her eye caught a familiar figure lying on the street. Her breathing became funny for a moment before she sprinted at top speed towards her beloved friend. She slid on her knees to reach him faster, not even flinching from the cuts and scraps she got from doing so.

"Pence! Pence, can you hear me?!" She wiped the ashes off his face, which also coated his entire body.

"PENCE!" She yelled into his ear in hopes of waking him up. When she didn't get a response she put an ear to his chest, straining to hear any noise close to a thump. She was met with yet another round of panic-induding silence.

The desperate girl refused to accept her friend's death, after all they were only kids.

Eyes beginning to water, she gritted her teeth and did the only thing she could think of to wake him up. She brought her arm behind her and jabbed him in the face with all of her existence. His head snapped to her left, but she still got no reaction out of him.

'He can't be dead, not him- anyone but him!'

She checked for his pulse again and again failed to get one. She checked to see if he was breathing. Negative.

Hopelessly, she tried over and over again, but no matter what she did he continued to remain unresponsive.

Tears streaming down her face and chin, she screamed at him to wake up until her voice shredded apart and all that came out was a pitiful whimper.

"That's enough," Roxas finally stepped in, grabbing her arm in an attempt to pull her up on her feet. She adamantly clinged to her friend's body, not letting go for anything in the entire universe.

"We can't do anything now, there's no reason to hold on to him anymore," he tried to reason with her logically, but only ended up infuriating her. He again tried to pull her up, but her grip only got tighter around him.

"Not everything can be dealt with by using pure logic," she growled at him.

"Even so, we still need to leave. The air will kill you if you breathe too much of it."

'He's right, you know. Pence would want you to go, too.'

Biting her lip, she took a long look at her childhood friend. The faint rose-like color had disappeared from his round face, and she couldn't bear to look into his lifeless eyes knowing that just a few hours ago they were filled to the brim with warmth. She cupped his face and found it to be ice-cold, much like the rest of him.

Memories began flashing through her mind, each one bringing a feeling of joy and happiness and a newfound feeling of yearning; yearning to go back to when everything seemed like it would turn out okay in the end.

'It'll still be okay. Just remember what Dad said: As long as you remain kind, you will find joy again.'

"C-Can you help me pick him up? I wanna at least give him a proper burial."

Roxas nodded curtly, wanting to leave as soon as possible. On the way to the woods, they saw many other tragic and horrific scenes that would scar her for the the rest of her life. She nearly broke down crying again when she saw a dead woman face down on the ground with her arms stretched out over her head, a bundle of blankets with ducklings on it not far from her reach. When they arrived at the woods, Naminé found a shovel in the shed behind the abandoned mansion and dug a pit with the help of Roxas every now and then. Before he put the dirt back in, she spoke to her friend for the very last time.

"Hope you're waiting for me on the other side."

A lone purple orchid stood guard over the patch of slightly raised earth. Before they left him at rest Naminé swore that she'd help those in need so they'd never have to experience the amount of suffering this town had to.

The dust had disappeared for the most part when they made their way back into the town, and she started to wish that it would've stayed. Not a single building was left standing, even the mighty Clock Tower had fallen victim to the attack. All around, collapsed buildings lay defeated on the ground, and under almost every single one of was a person either crying for help or in pain. Many did not say word at all, and they never would ever again.

Roxas kept walking straight ahead, but when he noticed the absence of a certain blonde, he stopped and looked back to see her and a group of others helping a family of a father and three children out of the rubble. A lady -who he presumed to be the mother- was laid on her back, an ugly, gash on her forehead. He estimated that she'd die within a minute or less.

Instead of leaving like they had initially said they would, she went to the next person who needed help, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Every time she was done helping, he'd ask if they could leave, to which she always replied, "In a bit."

It was well past noon when it seemed as though everyone who was trapped underneath piles of concrete was rescued. It was hardly anything to celebrate, however, as the amount of suffering in one single place was almost to much to bear.

The cries of the hopeless and broken-hearted echoed all through out the demolished town. Children begged for their families and close friends to wake up or to stay awake, and mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers held their lost loved ones in their arms, either silently crying or screaming in such anguish that even those who heard it couldn't help but become teary-eyed themselves.

What had once been a peaceful, sleepy town had now metamorphosed into a town of sorrow and mourning. Naminé found it exceedingly difficult to stay optomistic. She held out her hand in a stop gesture right as he opened his mouth.

"I want to see my place before we go, in case there's anything left." He nodded and they began their walk in solemn silence.

Rummaging through the rocks and trash, she sighed in disappointment. She couldn't find any of her belongings: her clothes, her keys, her wallet. She was now one of the many homeless, jobless, and penniless citizens of Twilight Town.

Right as she turned to him, she saw something in the distance that demanded her attention. The cement doors that separated the outsiders from the insiders was being pushed outward like a gigantic gate. She rushed towards the sight, keeping her eyes trained on the growing gap. Her legs began to feel the effects of her previous injury, but she willed them to keep going.

When she arrived at the scene, she saw a crowd of citizens surrounding the sight, gawking as nearly all had forgotten what the other side of the wall looked like.

Soon, a forty or so year-old woman with a megaphone in hand walked in front of the concrete gates. She held the device up to her lips and spoke:

"Citizens, at this time, the town council has just agreed to lift the ban on the previous law, which prohibited anyone from entering or exiting the world. However, those who work as architects, construction workers, or anything falling under that category MUST remain here to help fix the damages. The town will provide as much housing and food as possible. Everybody else is free to go if they so choose." With that being said she walked out of the way of the large body of people that excitedly squeezed itself through the opening of the wall.

Naminé began debating the pros and cons of leaving. If she went, she'd get to see entirely new worlds that she had never seen before, or at least couldn't remember, not to mention if she made it to Radiant Garden, she'd have a place to stay. On the other hand, she had no money to buy food, water, or shelter for the time being, which meant long, hungry nights were ahead of her.

'Either way you're screwed. At least if you went there's a possibility of finding a home, that is, IF you make it to Uncle Ansem.'

Sticking with that thought, they merged with the people spilling out of the wrecked town into unfamiliar territory in hope of a better life. She couldn't recall a single memory of how any of the worlds looked like, as the car accident made them hazy, but she didn't mind. Everything's better the first time, after all.

She tried to look around, but all she could see were the backs of people. How she hated being short.

She made her way to the outskirts of the swarm to get a better view of the environment.

Dry earth stretched endlessly until it collided with the cloudless, cyan sky. The trail they walked on was a simple, straight dirt path -which was slightly lighter than the surrounding earth- that lead to the next world.

"Hey, do you know the name of the next world?"

"Traverse Town."

"Oh, so how many worlds until we reach Radiant Garden?"

"Excluding Traverse Town, we have four worlds until we get there."

'That's not so bad,' she thought. She was suddenly aware of his lingering stare and turned to him. She followed his gaze to her legs, which, for the most part, had stopped bleeding.

"When did you get them?"

"Earlier today, but they're only a couple scrapes and cuts, nothing serious."

"Would you like me to carry you? It's not a burden to me at all."

"No thanks."

As the blazing sun to wearily sank lower and lower into the sky, a giant wall equivalent to theirs gradually grew into view. Some mustered up the energy to whoop while most were too exhausted to make a sound. Fortunately, the gates welcomed them with wide open arms.

When the group of fifty or so people finally arrived, many sought out food or water while others tried to find shelter. Naminé, meanwhile, just wanted to sleep for all eternity. Her heels ached from walking for so long, and her throat felt like a desert, not to mention the dull headache that throbbed every time her heat beat.

They found an alleyway next to a shop that was run by a man named Cid. She got to know him in no time as he was a natural conversationalist. She told him the reason as to why people began flooding the city. He felt sympathetic towards her situation and, even though he couldn't offer her a place to stay, offered something even better.

"You're really going to give me a job?" she gasped in disbelief.

"I need new employees anyways, but don't tell anyone that I just gave you the job. Got a reputation to keep, ya know?"

She nodded. "Gotcha. Oh, wait, I know this may be asking too much, but will you be willing to give my friend here a position, too?"

"Ah, I guess so, but I gotta be honest with you, the pay is not that g-"

"That's fine. Any pay at all is fine."

"Great! You two start tomorrow afternoon," Cid said. "Oh, before I go, you two know how to use a cash register, right?"

"Yup."

"Even better. All right, see you tomorrow, then," he said, walking back into the shop.

'You're becoming soft, ya lug,' he thought, biting down on his toothpick.

"Wow, he must be really desperate if he's willing to give a random person a position," she murmured. Nonetheless, money was money, and Naminé was more than happy to accept the man's offer. Feeling a wave of relief wash over her, they went into the alleyway where she settled herself in the vertex between the brick wall and the wooden fence that towered over them. Roxas sat to her right, keeping watch for anyone who might jump them in the night.

She began to feel the effects of fatigue, her mind drastically becoming slower, until she could stay awake no longer, and she let darkness envelop her consciousness without hesitation. Her chest still ached from the emotional strain she had just gone through a few hours earlier. She hoped that Pence was in a better place now.

 _ **A/N:**_ I feel like this chapter was too short or maybe too rushed... I dunno, I think it's just me being paranoid. Anyways, here it is! From here on out it's gonna be going from world to world until we reach nirvana- Radiant Garden. I hope you've enjoyed reading so far and _please_ leave a review if you'd like, trust me, it really makes a writer's day. With that being said I hope to see you in the next installment of _He Came in a Box_!

 **EDIT:** "As long as you remain kind, you will find joy again" is a quote from the English dub of Tokyo Ghoul, which if you're an anime fan I highly suggest you watch!


	6. Another Day, Another Dollar

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

 **IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING UPLOAD OF NEXT CHAPTER AT THE END.**

A monster deep inside Naminé's stomach disturbed her from her sleep, awakening her with its dastardly growl. She let out a dreary groan as her eyes attempted to turn the world from blobs of color to shapes. Her legs felt like someone had dipped them in boiling oil, on fire and nearly impossible to move without a sharp pain shooting up her legs. Trying to distract herself from the unbearable sensation, she looked around for Roxas who had not moved an inch from his position.

He noticed her staring and greeted her with the same stunning smile he flashed just yesterday. "Good morning."

'God, was that only yesterday? So much has changed since then...'

"Good morning," she replied, pushing the thought out of her head before it got to her.

"You seem to be hungry," he said, referring to the noise her stomach had made earlier, "would you like me to get you something?"

"As much as I'd like that, we're sorta broke," she sighed. "And I'm not gonna make you steal food, either."

"In any case," she paused, getting up and stretching her back all the while fighting back the urge to scream in pain as she felt like her legs were being ripped out of their sockets. She sighed in relief as the tension in her back lessened, pops and cracks ringing throughout the once soundless alleyway, "it's only been a day since I've last eaten, which means I have roughly six days left."

"And water?"

"Right, I almost forgot about that, so then that makes it... maybe three to four days?"

"You don't seem to be worried by this..."

"Well, we're getting paid eventually, right? Which means we have a source of income, so money's not too far away."

"But aren't most paychecks weekly?"

"Yeah."

"So then by the time we get paid, you would've died from malnutrition and dehydration, which I'm not going to let happen."

"I don't think it'll be that hard to find food."

"How do you expect eat without paying for it?"

"Boy, you're just full of questions today, aren'tcha?"

"Because I don't think you understand the magnitude of the situation."

"Well then look at it this way: we've already got a job, so as long as we make it through the week, we can buy all the necessities for later on."

"But that's exactly what I'm trying to say. We won't get paid until a week from now and during that time you'll need to eat and drink to remain alive, but the problem is we don't have money to buy anything with."

"Well, there's bound to be a water fountain somewhere, and maybe a couple free samples here and there, too."

"I doubt free samples will sustain you for long, and what about shelter?"

"There's probably a hotel somewhere around here. For now, the alleyway's the best thing we got."

"...It'll do for now."

"Good. Well, since work's not 'til later, why don't we check out the town to kill some time?" Roxas said nothing and nodded, not wanting to start an argument.

Just as they reached the bottom of the concrete stairs, a tiny, adorable creature with a giant, pink spherical nose and an antenna with an even bigger red pom-pom at the end of it glided to a stop in front of them its miniature dragon-like wings.

"I haven't seen you two here before, kupo," it chirped, its puffball jiggling up and down as it spoke.

"Um, yeah... And you are?" Naminé asked, trying to resist the urge to just pick it up and carry it with her like it was her beloved toy.

"Just your average moogle, kupo! Say, I bet you two came with that crowd of people from yesterday. If that's the case, then you must be interested in buying something like them. I have all sorts of items for low, low prices if you're willing to buy some!"

"No, thanks, drugs aren't really my thing."

"Oh, heavens, no, kupo! That's not what I meant at all! I'm just like any other person trying to make a living."

"Oh, sorry for the misunderstanding, but we don't have any money..."

"Tell you what, I can give you a loan of... let's say five thousand, and, as a small bonus, I won't charge any interest! How does that sound, kupo?" it offered.

"That's incredibly generous of you, but I'm not sure if we could pay you back..."

"Don't worry about it, kupo! You can just pay it off little by little! So, what do you say?"

She played with the hair laying on her right shoulder the way she always did when she was thinking hard. If she took the loan they could probably rent a room and buy enough food and water to last them a good couple weeks. However, they'd probably have to work for at least a month or two in order to pay it off. She honestly just wanted to hop from world to world, but she now knew that that was easier said than done. On the other hand, if she declined she would've given up the chance to eat and sleep on a regular basis, but they'd leave earlier.

After a few more moments she finally decided her verdict.

"I really appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to say no."

"No worries, kupo, but in case you change your mind the offer will still be on the table. Just come visit my shop if you need me, or if you're just looking for some items to buy," it said, pointing a pudgy hand to its left toward a small shop with 'ITEMS' written in yellow below a picture of a crate overflowing with various products he sold at the store.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, turning back to the moogle.

"Great! Well, I'll see you around, kupo!" it squeaked, fluttering its wings with glee.

"...Kupo?" Roxas asked once it floated out of earshot. Naminé shrugged.

"Huh, guess it's always night here," she observed while they continued walking. She directed her attention towards the humongous doors that faced Cid's shop.

"That's where we came in from..." she turned back, "This is the moogle's shop... and there's an outside café slash bar. Along with Cid's shop that about makes up First District..."

Behind the accessory they discovered another pair of doors, though not as big as the first one. Next to that was an abandoned shop that overlooked the alleyway.

Going through the doors they immediately saw that the Second District was immensely larger than the first. Three shops occupied the right side of the block while the hotel took the entire left side. Far ahead of them was a church or mansion of some kind, mosaic pictures decorating the front of the white building.

"Whoa," she breathed, taking in the sight. Something inside her told her to look up and she was glad she listened to it. She had never seen such a gorgeous night sky in her life. Hundreds upon thousands of sapphire and amethyst stars peppered the dark canvas, each one shining jovially, trying to outdo their brothers and sisters.

She continued to stare at the scenic sky in awe, momentarily forgetting where she was and what she was doing. The distant suns hypnotized her, dancing in her wide, child-like eyes.

She was broken out of her reverie when Roxas gently shook her shoulder.

"We need to keep going if you want to make it back in time for Cid's."

"Huh? Oh- yeah, sorry," she apologized, tearing her eyes away from the spectacle of stars. "Let's keep going then."

They made their way down the steps along the right side of the district, stopping at the wishing well to get a better look at the mural of butterflies engraved into the wall.

Naminé noticed another door next to the well leading to an unknown location, but decided against going inside it. Perhaps another time..

Walking further along they found another door behind the stores leading to the Third District as the sign above it stated.

"Let's not go here yet," she said, wanting the make sure that they've explored the entirety of the Second District. After a quick sweep around they found nothing of notable value and went on ahead to the last district.

It was definitely the brightest of the districts by a mile. Blinding streetlights were intermittented every few feet, lighting everything up within a seven-foot radius. In the middle of the the district was a clearing with a commemorative statue of The Lady and the Tramp in the wishing well. They walked along the edges of the district but found nothing significant besides the statue in the corner.

'Guess we should head back to the shop,' she thought. They went through another large door that led to the First District. When they arrived at the store they were greeted happily by the older man.

"Afternoon, you two! You know, it just occurred to me earlier today that I don't even know yer names..." he admitted, grinning sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm Naminé, and this is my friend, Roxas."

"Naminé and Rockses, got it. I gotta give you yer two name tags, so follow me." He waved them over to the room behind the counter labeled 'Employees Only'. Inside were two vending machines side by side along the right wall along with various cleaning supplies lining the left: mops, brooms, vaccums, etc. All the way at the back of the musty room was a workbench with four monitors situated above it. The desk had all sorts of foreign, intimidating tools on display for Naminé to see.

Cid lead them to over to it and slid open the top right drawer. He took out two empty tags and two black markers.

"Here ya go," he said, handing it to them.

"Thank you," they murmured in unison, handing them back to him once they finished writing their names

"Welp, yer all set!" He pocketed the markers in his navy-blue pants, the same color as her hoodie, which was tied around her waist for the time being. "I'll swing by once yer shifts are over. 'Til then, I can only ask you not to steal any money inside the register or completely destroy the place. You seem to be good folks, please don't prove me wrong," he said, making his way toward the exit of the building.

"You got nothing to worry about. We won't steal anything," she promised. With that, the shopkeeper left the store in the hands of his new employees.

"First things first, we gotta make the place look nice by cleaning it. Do me a favor and get the mops out, would ya?" she asked. Roxas did just that and for the next half hour or so the pair spiffed up the shop to the best of their ability in the short amount of time they had.

Not long after a ten-year-old boy with short coffee-colored hair strolled into the shop, whistling a joyful tune.

"Afternoon!" she greeted, "Are you looking for anything in particular today?"

He stopped whistling when they made eye contact. "Uh, I'm looking for a green necklace if you have one," he nervously requested, flustering a bit when he looked at her.

She whipped her head around looking for said jewelry. "They should be riiiiiiight... there." She led him to a window display along the left side of the shop, various pieces of jewelry glimmering like stars.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Even though Roxas was the cashier, the boy kept staring at the ash blonde girl who had the most gorgeous eyes he had ever seen in his young life. He muttered a small thanks to the older boy and floated out of the shop in a daze.

"Have a wonderful day!" she called out to him as he left.

"Cool, our first customer."

"He certainly won't be our last," he replied, eyes fixated on the machine he was fiddling with.

"Is it just me or did he seem a little... spaced out?"

"He was nervous around you and he kept glancing at you whenever you weren't looking. I'd say he held some sort of affection for you," he flatly replied.

"Ah, that makes sense. He's a cute kid, I'll give him that, but he's way too young for my taste."

Her parched throat rudely made its presence known when it threw her into a coughing fit.

"Are you all right?"

"Yup, just need to find some water, that's all. They should have a water fountain around here somewhere." Her eyes caught sight of a metal-and-plastic machine directly across the room, humming a low, never-ending song. Her heart fluttered with relief as she made her way towards her oasis, drinking away the dryness of her throat. She gasped for air by the end of her chugging contest, wiping the water that worked its way down her face off. She felt rejuvenated from drinking the cool, crisp water.

Her stomach interrupted her celebration, reminding her that not all was good and well according to him.

'You'll have your fill soon, you just gotta be patient. Good things come to those who wait.'

He grumbled a bit but for the most part stayed quiet throughout the rest of their shift.

The hours rolled on by with little to no stress at all. Many of the customers were neighborly and easy-going, and some even cracked a few jokes that genuinely made her chuckle. She even recognized a few citizens from Twilight Town and they caught up on recent events and how life was going so far for them.

"How's Tom? Is he doing okay?" she asked.

"Afraid not. He barely even talks to me or Charlie. We're his own parents for God's sake!" sniffed Samantha.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mrs. Thompson, but these kinds of things take time. You understand, don't you?"

She nodded somberly. "Of course, it's just... He was always our little ball of sunshine... Seeing him like this... It's just- he doesn't seem like the same Tom that I know- that we all know. I just hope with all my heart that this'll just be a temporary thing, you know?"

She nodded, giving a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, things'll turn up well soon, I know it!"

The petroleum-haired woman nodded, a smile blossoming on her face. "You're right. Thank you. The world could use a lot more people like you. You really know just how to cheer an old lady like me up."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson. Now, will that be all?"

"Yes."

"All right, your total is $28.67."

As she handed her the money, she noticed the other blond stocking the snack aisle with bags of chips.

"You work with Adonis over there?" she smirked suggestively, turning back to Naminé.

She gave the older woman a pointed look. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, but we're just friends."

"With that face? Not for long," she teased, taking the receipt from Naminé's hand.

"Have a nice day, Mrs. Thompson," Naminé said rather loudly, giving the woman a cue to leave.

The lady smiled again with an underlying hint of naughtiness. "You too!" she said while grabbing her bags. "Next time I see you it better be while eating his face off," she added in a hushed whisper.

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PLEASE NEVER COME BACK AGAIN."

The woman threw her head back in laughter as she walked out the doors.

"I heard yelling, is everything okay?" Roxas asked, carrying the now empty box of chips in front him as he walked.

"Just peachy."

Right then Cid came in through the doors, grinding the toothpick in his mouth, threatening to break it in half.

"Well, you didn't completely wreck the place at least," he noted gruffly. "'N fact, looks like you made it look a little bit better. Nice work."

"Thanks."

"All right, now scram, you two! Go on, git!" he joked, shooing them out of the shop after collecting their tags.

"Okay, okay, we're going!" she smiled, hands up in the air in surrender.

As they rounded the corner to the alleyway, her mind suddenly began to swim in and out of reality and fantasy, slowing her walking down drastically.

Roxas immediately took notice and asked her what was wrong, but his words went in one ear and out the other. Hunger overcame her as she felt like her body had begun to feast on itself. She gnashed her teeth as she tried to ignore the feeling of being eaten from the inside out.

'Come on, you only have a few steps until you get there. You can do this!'

She planted one foot in front of the other all the while trying to keep herself from falling over to one side. She held up her index finger to Roxas when he began to approach her, signaling to him that she wanted to see how far she could go without his help.

Many baby steps later she sunk down to her reserved spot, sighing in relief but also proud of herself for accomplishing such a feat. At this point she could barely keep her eye lids open, and just as she was about to fall into darkness once more, she saw him hold out three bags of chips in his palm.

"Did you steal...?"

He shook his head. "When I was giving him my name tag I asked him if it was okay to take a few. He said it was fine."

"Oh, okay. Thanks," she said, taking the bags and eating them all in less than thirty seconds. The monster inside her growled, demanding more, but she was too exhausted to fight with it this time.

She leaned against his shoulder, hitting the sack in less time than it took for her to wolf down the chips.

He glanced at the sleeping blonde, a new feeling being introduced to him called 'guilt'. It only lasted for a moment though as he reminded himself that it was for her sake. Besides, who cares about a couple chips anyways?

 _ **A/N:**_ So this one's a little bit longer than the last few, I think at least. I don't really have much to say this time around because I'm a bit under the weather and my mind's too drugged up to really give anything any thought, but I'll probably get better in a few days. As always, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading! I think I say this everytime, but it's just something that I personally think needs to be said. Please R&R, because it makes writers everywhere smile when we see that people notice our work. With that being said, I hope to see you in the next chapter! Have a nice day! :)

 **ANNOUNCEMENT: I'll be on a vacation trip very soon and one of the days that I'm on vacation include the next update day for the next chapter, which is June 20th. I'll try to get it out on that day, but if I can't I'll publish it as soon as I can. I hope you understand.**


	7. Golden Days

**_Disclaimer:_** **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. I also don't own any characters from the Transformers franchise.**

 _"Hi, Nami," nine-year-old Pence greeted as he poked his head in what was formerly the guest room._

 _"Hi..." nine-year-old Naminé murmured, her small head tucked in between her legs._

 _"Do you want me to get you anything?" he asked, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible after the incident._

 _His blonde friend shook her head._

 _"Oh, okay..."_

 _Long swaths of silence passed, causing the rotund boy to fidget as he stood in the doorway._

 _"...I'm sorry." He mentally slapped himself. He's supposed to help her move on from the ordeal, not make her remember!_

 _"You don't have to be, it's not your fault."_

 _'It's mine. If I hadn't existed, they'd still be alive and not dead!'_

 _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry..." she heard him say. She let out a tiny, confused 'huh' just as she felt the crystal-clear tears that were trailing down her rosy-red cheeks._

 _"Ah, sorry, that wasn't 'cause of you, I was just thinking...about...something..."_

 _"Oh, okay. Anyways, Mom told me to tell you that dinner's ready. She made spaghetti and meatballs, and you haven't lived until you've tried them."_

 _"...Okay..." She uncurled herself from her fetal position on her new bed, which lately seemed to be her favorite spot in the whole house, and followed Pence down the red oak stairs into the dining room, where her legal guardians patiently awaited their arrival._

 _"Evening, Naminé," Pence's father welcomed, folding the newspaper he was reading on the table. He was a tall man, around 6' 4" (1.84m), and also very well-sculptured with a broad chest and mysterious steel-gray eyes. For a man in his mid-thirties, he had aged quite well, his ebony short boxed beard still as full as always._

 _As for his personality, he was a natural leader and outdoor enthusiast. He always stayed level-headed when situations go from bad to worse, and he was always up to a challenge, but ever since he became a father he's kept that more adventurous side of him under wraps. Family comes first after all._

 _"How you holding up, sweetie?" his mother asked, setting down the silverware for everyone. Much like her husband she too had also aged nicely. Similar to him she was an adventurer by nature, her cinnamon eyes still reflecting that fact along with her calloused hands. She had a slicked-back cherry brown bob that bounced every so often when she shrugged. Apart from being a risk taker, she had a more tender side to her when it came to children, so when she was told about what had happened from Pence, she had to take Naminé in. She was a sweet girl who, so far, hasn't caused any trouble, and besides, the two were inseparable._

 _"Fine, thank you," she answered both parents, sliding into the maple wood chair. The older woman smiled and set the still steaming pot of spaghetti and meatballs down in the center of the rectangular table. The blonde's mouth watered at the sight of the freshly made marinara sauce smothering the long pasta noodles like a glaze. A whiff of the meatballs sent a taste bud tingling sensation up and down her spine._

 _"All right, now that everyone's here, dig in!" Pence's father exclaimed._

 _After they all stuffed their stomachs to the brim with the delectable dish, the young ones washed their plates and forks and ran into the boy's room while the adults mellowed out on the couch with the good ol' TV._

 _Pence sat on the bed while Naminé played with his Megatron action figure on floor._

 _"Hey, Nami." She looked up at her friend expectantly._

 _"Promise me something..." fifteen-year-old Pence began with a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was seeing something that was bound to happen eventually. "No matter how unfair life seems, don't give up."_

 _"Give up? Give up on what?" she asked, unaware of the change in his age._

 _"Like, when times get tough, and you're surrounded by all the terrible things life has to offer, don't quit. Even if it hurts, and the pain seems unbearable, keep going. Keep that light inside you burning, even if the flame is barely there. I know that it's going to be hard, but I believe- no, I know that you can do it! Promise me, Naminé."_

 _"O-Okay...?"_

 _"Thanks... Well, it's time for me to get going," he sighed, standing up from his racecar bed which was too small for him now._

 _"Get going? Get going where?" she asked trepidatiously, a small voice alarming her that if he left he would never be seen again. Her best friend remained quiet, which only further confirmed her already rapidly-growing fear._

 _The wall in front of them suddenly collapsed and gave in to reveal a blinding, heavenly white light that rivaled that of the sun's._

 _Teenage Naminé grabbed hold of his wrist right as he approached the margin between the wooden floor and nothingness._

 _"Wait! Please, don't go! What-"_

 _"Don't worry about what happens to me. Just remember that promise we made, okay?" He smiled a toothy grin at her as the light glowed brighter, making him seem like he was evaporating from the plane of existence._

 _Before she could call out his name one more time the light completely swallowed him whole, never to be seen or heard from again._

Naminé's eyes shot wide open as she heaved in a tremendous gulp of air, her white dress clinging to her body like it was an extra layer of skin.

"Calm down, you're safe," Roxas soothingly reassured, giving her time to recuperate her thoughts. "Was it a nightmare?"

"Uh, sorta. It's just a dream, nothing to worry about," she tried to play off.

"This has been happening for almost a whole week now, I don't think it's 'just a dream.'"

She huffed in slight annoyance. "Look, don't worry about it, okay? Let's just sleep for now. Tomorrow's our last day anyways," she yawned, closing her eyes and quickly falling back asleep. He worriedly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before resuming his role as guard for the night.

"Hi, Naminé!"

"Hey, Jesse," she welcomed the boy she met on their first day on the job. Ever since their first encounter, he had come back everyday like a stray dog who she fed once and has not stopped following her ever since. They'd chat when she wasn't busy with customers, and when he found out that she had no way of knowing if she would get to eat on a daily basis, he took it upon himself to ensure that she ate at least once a day by bringing food.

She was extremely grateful towards the boy of course, and she tried to promise him that she'd repay his kindness somehow, but he insisted that no pay was necessary. Since then she had regained a bit of color on her face and she was less prone to dizziness spells during work hours. Overall, she was incredibly grateful to meet such a kind young lad.

"I got a couple sandwiches. I wish I could've gotten something more filling, but-"

"Four?! Wow, thank you so much!" she exclaimed, pulling the boy in for a hug.

"Uh, n-no problem..." he blushed. He looked down at his sneakers for a moment before he mustered the courage to look into her eyes. "Um, there's actually something I wanted t-to tell you..."

"Weird, I was actually gonna say the same thing," she said, breaking the hug.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, um... There's really no easy way to say this... I'm gonna leave tomorrow..."

His face visibly fell. "What?"

"Once I get my paycheck, I'm- we're gonna go. I got a relative in Radiant Garden who we're trying to get to, but we need some money to help us on our journey. You know the saying: money makes the world go 'round."

He was about to say something, but the sound of the door opening rudely interrupted him.

"'Scuse me," she murmured to him as she slid past him to greet the customer who was a bulky man in his mid-twenties with light-brown hair and hazel eyes. "Welcome, sir! Is there anything you're specifically looking for today?"

"Aaaand here it is, yer first paychecks," Cid congratulated, handing both employees their envelopes stuffed with money. "Since your circumstances are a little different, I threw in a little bonus, but don't tell ANYONE. People might spread rumors that I'm a big pushover, and I can't have my reputation being tarnished like that."

"We won't. Thank you very much," Naminé thanked, Roxas following suit. She pocketed the envelope in her hoodie's pocket which was still tied around her waist while Roxas stored his earnings in his back pocket.

"No problem." The older man began to turn away.

"Wait, Cid." He half-turned to Naminé. "Yeah?"

"Um, we're both resigning from our jobs..."

"WHAT?!" he roared, now completely facing them.

"It's not that we don't like it, it's just-"

"Ah, save yer excuses, just go," the shopkeeper tiredly interrupted. "I'll just find some people to replace ya."

"Thanks for understanding," she said, bowing to him in apology before they walked back to their usual spot.

'Shoulda had 'em sign a contract...' Cid thought as he walked back into his establishment.

"That went a lot better than I thought," she admitted when they turned the corner into the alleyway.

Out of nowhere Roxas grabbed her shoulder and moved in front of her, staring into the abyss ahead of them.

"What? What is-" she stopped mid-sentence as she caught sight of a Doberman Pinscher sniffing the ground.

"It's a puppy!" she gushed childishly. Its head snapped up at the sound of her voice and slowly trotted towards their direction. She saw its eyes had a gray tint to them like a translucent veil was put over them.

'It's blind...'

Suddenly the dog started growling at them, two rows of sharp, murderous teeth glistening as it snarled, not to mention the foam that began to fall from its lip onto the ground. Before Naminé could react, it emitted a high-pitched cry and began to whimper painfully like an unseen force was hurting it. The canine dashed out of the place at full speed, yipping as it went. Puzzled, she turned to her partner who seemed unfazed at the whole ordeal.

"What made it run away?"

"I hummed at a high frequency so it would run off somewhere else," he explained as they sat down in their reserved spots.

"That explains why I didn't hear anything," she said, leaning on his left shoulder. She quickly sat up she remembered something.

"Take out your check, let's see how much we got..."

"Seven hundred?!" she scream-whispered when they finished counting. He nodded to confirm her previous statement.

"That's more than three months pay at my old job!" she quietly stated in awe. "If we play our cards right we could live off this for two to three weeks."

She rested her head on him once more. "Seven hundred... Seven with two zeros behind it, with no decimal to be found whatsoever..."

"First thing in the morning we buy the things we need, and then we head off to the next world, which is...?"

"The Land of Departure."

"The Land of Departure," she repeated. "Sounds meaningful, doesn't it?" She yawned. "Wonder what it'll be like..."

She looked up at the dazzling sky above them, getting lost in the endless array of stars that never ceased to amaze her.

"You know, I heard someone in the shop talking about how all these stars are actually worlds. Really, really far away worlds; ones even bigger than ours, and even more far apart. Isn't that crazy to think about?"

She felt him shrug. "I guess so." She internally sighed. She honestly didn't know why she kept asking these types of questions even though she knew what his response would be every single time. It's not like one of these days he'd magically get a personality of his own.

'Well, he's not entirely devoid of emotion. He does smile from time to time, and he's shown that he worries about you. It's taking some time, but soon enough he'll be able to feel without that chip inside him telling him to.'

"Are you okay?" The random question caught her off guard.

"Am I okay? Uh, yeah, I'd say so... Why the sudden concern?"

"I've noticed that ever since we've arrived here, you don't smile as much as you used to. Granted, I've only known you for less than a month, but the change is noticeable; to me at least. Before you'd every sentence with a smile of some kind, and now... Is there anything I can do to make you happy, anything at all?"

She let his words sink in. She hadn't noticed any major differences with herself as of late, but from what she's understanding, she isn't acting much like her usual self. But could he blame her? It's not like she'd be perfectly normal after what she and hundreds of others had gone through. She just needed time to recover, that's all.

"I appreciate the concern, but you don't have to do anything. I'm aware now that I'm a bit different from before, but I'll be back to normal soon. I just need time to... find my bearings, you know? For now let's just get some sleep, we got a big day tomorrow, yeah?"

"...Okay. Good night."

"'Night."

"All right, so just to make sure, we have a backpack, four seventy-two ounce water bottles, three cans of tree nuts, two bags of dried fruit, a sleeping bag and a first-aid kit?"

"All accounted for."

"And the money's in the front pocket?"

"Yes."

"Good. All right, so if you think we should buy anything else, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"A few cans of soup might last a bit longer than the nuts."

"Good point," she noted, walking back inside the Moogle's shop.

"Will that be all, kupo?" the moogle asked, cocking its plump head to the side.

"Yup."

"Safe travels, kupo!" it waved as she exited the shop, its pompom mimicking the action. The girl waved back, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Ready?" she asked. Her companion nodded.

"Would you like me to carry the backpack?"

"Nah, it's fine, I got it," she answered, hoisting the bag higher up her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she began to push open the iron doors that separated them from the next world.

"WAIT!"

"Huh?"

Naminé turned around to see Jesse frantically running to catch up to them. Roxas stood on edge in case the boy tried anything.

After catching his breath, he looked the girl confidently in the eyes, determined to let her know his true feelings for her, even if she didn't feel the same way.

"Namine, I've been meaning to tell you something for some time. Ever since I first saw you I thought you were an angel sent down by God Himself. I've never seen such a beautiful girl in my entire life... I really like you, and even though you probably don't share those feelings, I just needed to tell you that." By the end of his confession his confidence had withered away like a wilted flower in the sun.

He anxiously awaited her reaction, sweating nervously where he stood. It really didn't make him feel better when her slightly shocked expression grew into a smile and then fits of almost jeering chuckles.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," she explained after she had gained control over her laugher. "I know how hard it was to do that, and I admire your courage, but... I sort of already knew that you liked me..."

His bright pink cheeks flared a deep scarlet, his eyes concentrating on his shoes.

"O-Oh."

He jumped a bit when he felt her ruffle his hair.

"Listen, I'm flattered and all, but... Well, you're ten and I'm fifteen. I'm too old for a guy like you," she winked. "Trust me, there are plenty more fish in the sea."

Though a bit embarrassed, he managed to crack a tiny smile.

"Okay."

"Good. Now, we've really gotta get going, but I'll come back and visit soon."

"Promise?" He held out his pinky to her, wordlessly asking her to form the most sacred, universally acknowledged oath known to mankind.

"Promise," she swore, wrapping her pinky around his, thus sealing the deal.

They retracted and he wished them the best as they moved forward to the next world.

A beige dirt road about five meters across led to them to the Land of Departure. However, instead of the sun's relentless, unforgiving heat, a cool breeze whispered through their hair. On both sides of the path were long blades of grass that barely brushed past Naminé's knees.

The quiet nighttime atmosphere immediately relaxed her. She looked at the grass, the way it rippled like ocean waves when the wind strolled by. The gentle breeze somehow soothed her troubles and worries to oblivion.

The moon spilled its soft, pale blue light on the land, illuminating the road with a peaceful glow. Just looking at the scene made her want nap in the soft grass and never wake up.

However, she knew that they had to keep going. If the news about Twilight Town had reached Radiant Garden, her uncle must be worried to death about her. She's his only living relative after all. Sure, they've never really interacted ever since the incident, but family is family. He wouldn't turn them down after how long it took them to travel all the way to Radiant Garden, right?

'Of course not. Why would I even think of that? I highly doubt he's that heartless...'

Her attention was brought back to the lush grass that encompassed both sides of the road. She bent down slightly as they walked, touching the tips of the harmless blades. She just couldn't get enough of how serene the place was. Even though they had just begun their trip she felt like she wanted to call it a day and rest.

'Focus. You can sleep when you get there, but for now just keep walking.'

She glanced over at the taciturn blond beside her, observing his captivating facial features. She couldn't help but stare at him, her eyes wandering from his soft lips to his electric blue eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing her lingering gaze.

She shook her head and turned towards the path. "Nah, nothing."

"Oh."

"Soooo... What are some of your favorite things?"

"Favorite things?"

"Yeah, like, what's your favorite color, or your favorite animal, anything like that."

"I don't have any favorites."

"Well, maybe you should pick some favorites."

"What would be the point?"

"There doesn't have to be a point, but why not have one?"

"What are some of your favorite things, then?"

"Mm, well, I really like the color white if that isn't already obvious, and my favorite animal is a jellyfish, specifically the moon jelly. Ah... I used to draw a lot when I was younger, but not much anymore, and my favorite season is fall. Now stop evading the question."

"I honestly don't have a favorite anything. There's no point to it."

"Suit yourself," she sighed.

After miles and miles of walking they were finally met with the view of a giant castle atop a mountain connected to two smaller sections by thick golden chains.

"Whoa..." she breathed, partially out of exhaustion but mainly out of amazement. Night had fell over the land when they arrived, silhouetting the mountains far off in the distance.

'You can check that out later, right now you need to find a place to sleep,' she reminded herself. Hiking up the verdant trail they soon came across a small wooden inn tucked away from view by all the conifer trees that plagued the foot of the mountain.

It seemed shady to her, but her body demanded some downtime, so they cautiously entered the one-story hotel.

At first no one seemed to be inside until Naminé rang the service bell that was on the wooden counter in front of them. The door behind the counter creaked open and out came -what seemed like to Naminé- the basic sterotype of a grandmother: short and a little plump along with a round face, and a green shawl on her shoulders that matched the color of her amiable almond-shaped eyes.

"Ah, welcome, welcome," she warmly greeted, the corners of her lips curving upwards to form a smile that instantly relieved Naminé of her doubts of the seemingly suspicious inn. "You two would like a room, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," they answered in unison.

Her peridot eyes stayed on Roxas for a bit before she caught herself staring and faced both of them with jolly smile that made her eyes crinkle up.

"Of course, now will you be staying in separate rooms or will you be staying together?"

"Together."

"That'll be seventy, please."

After handing her the money the snow-haired woman excused herself to the room she had just come out of. With their key in hand she escorted them to the second door along the left side of the hall. Stopping at their door she dropped the keys into the blonde's hands.

"You two sleep well, now. These walls are paper-thin, so I don't wanna hear any funny business, you hear?" she warned.

"Yes, ma'am," Naminé murmured unenthusiastically.

The older woman softly chuckled as she left them to their newly acquired room. With that over and done with Naminé unlocked the door and breathed in that renowned hotel room smell.

Shrugging the backpack off she suddenly sprinted towards the bed nearest to her, belly-flopping into it with such force that she nearly knocked it over. She relished the feeling of being in a bed again, sighing in content as the cool sheets made contact with her pale skin. She quickly burrowed under the white covers and was out like a light in almost an instant.

Unlike the restless blonde, Roxas calmly began his usual routine of taking off his cloak, but instead of laying down next to her as he normally did he layed down on the other bed next to the window.

The next day would bring about the exploration of new territory, and to him that meant an inclusive range of new potential threats to her. He'd have to be extra cautious from now own. If he overlooked even the smallest detail she'd pay for his mistakes dearly. He mustn't ever let that happen. The guilt of just lying to her was enough to put him off, but bearing the weight of knowing that if he had just been a bit more careful she would still be alive? The thought of it made him... scared? Sad? Uneasy? Maybe all three? He found it difficult to identify exactly what he was feeling.

Nonetheless, he had to make sure that he kept an extra careful eye on her, not to mention cheer her up. Emotional health was just as important as physical health, after all. Perhaps he could buy her a sketchbook to draw in, or maybe he could buy her a moon jelly somewhere down the road. Either way he just wanted her to be happy. As long as she was content that was all he could ever ask for.

 _ **A/N:**_ **I actually made the deadline! Weird since I usually procrastinate a lot, but hey, the new chapter's here, and it's actually somewhat long! Jesus, I made past-Naminé so fucking self-deprecating...**

 **In any news, we made it to a new world! The Land of Departure, and just in time for that new 2.8 trailer we got a couple days ago! Well, not a couple, but still! I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but OH MY FUCKING GOD. Please, for the love of KH3, watch it! I can't wait to see playthroughs of it, since I don't have a PS4, unfortunately.**

 **All right, let me stop shoving my KH passion down your throats. Let me get back to the story. As always, thank you very much for reading, and if you've enjoyed it, please review! It always cheers me up when you do, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story as we progress forward!**


	8. Revenant

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

"You're up pretty early," Naminé noted when she woke up to see Roxas already up and about.

"It's already past noon. Technically, **you're** late."

"Oh-ho, am I detecting a hint of sass?" she smirked, propping herself up on her right elbow.

"I'm just stating the facts," he shrugged, raising his arms up in mock surrender.

'Well, I can deal with a bit of sass. As long as it doesn't turn into douchery.'

She dragged herself out of bed. "I'm gonna take a shower," she announced. "After that I was thinking that we could head out and explore the world."

"Fine by me."

"Cool." She closed the bathroom door, locking it behind her. She stared at the shower lovingly like it was a boyfriend who she hadn't seen for a while. As much as she wanted to take her time and enjoy the sensation of warm water running down her back, she also wanted to investigate the rest of the world, too. The castle greatly piqued her interest, and she wanted to see the inside if possible.

Feeling clean and refreshed, she dried herself off and untangled as many knots as she could with her fingers. She hastily blow-dried her hair and put on her clothes in the same fashion.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said, walking out the door. Roxas nodded and put the cash and keys in his coat's pocket. Locking the door they ascended further up the mountain to the monumental castle.

They came across a green pasture with marble benches to their far right. To their left was a rocky ledge that overlooked the land below. Wanting to see the view, the blonde sat on the edge of the cliff, idly swinging her legs back and forth.

Much like the stars back in Traverse Town, she was awestruck by the breath-taking view. She could see rolling hills in the distance with a thick mist blanketing the base of the hills. Next to them was a river that resembled a mirror, the illusion being broken every once in a while when a fish jumped out of the water.

All of a sudden her eye caught something run across the field and quickly disappear into the fog, an entire army of the brown, wooly animal unexpectedly rampaging behind, their numbers so great she could hear the clopping of their hooves all the way from up there.

The mammal reminded her off a hairy bull that grew out its fur like a hippie. The thought made her smile a bit. She watched in silence as hundreds and hundreds of shaggy bulls, cows, and calves raced across the hilltops, moving like it was a single entity.

"What are those?" she asked the reserved blond when he sat next to her.

"Yaks."

"Yaks? Sounds weird..."

Moments of comfortable silence later an eerie thought struck Naminé.

"Hey, where are all the people? The only person I've seen so far was the lady at the inn..."

"Maybe there's a village nearby that we haven't seen yet. It's also possible that we're at some sort of backwoods part of the town.

"Yeah, probably that second one."

Once all the yaks had finished their race they continued onward toward the enormous fortress.

In no time they arrived at the gigantic palace, their footsteps now clopping against the massive circular concrete floor that was situated in front of the citadel. Naminé looked up to take in the castle in its entirety.

The center building stood galiantly with pride while the other two sections served as loyal cohorts. She guessed that the main part of the castle was probably as tall as the clock tower, if not taller.

 _"Are you sure it's safe up here?"_

 _"Of course! Hayner, Olette, and I go up here all the time!"_

"...iné? Naminé?"

She jumped. "Huh?"

"You zoned out for a bit. Are you okay?" he asked, cocking his head to the left.

"I did?"

He nodded.

"Oh, sorry."

"Are you okay?" he repeated.

"Yup, I'm good," she assured, plastering an artificial smile. "C'mon, let's see if it's open."

He was a bit skeptical of the authenticity of her statement, but refrained from saying anything and followed her up the marble stairs.

She knocked on the massive doors and waited for a response, but none came.

Slowly, she began to push open the right door, struggling a bit as she did.

"HELLO?" she called out, hoping to hear the voice of another person. The only reply she got was her own echo answering her back.

"There must be someone around here," she muttered to herself, ambling further into the deserted castle.

"Hey, how 'bout we split up? We can find people faster that way," she proposed, turning to the blond for his consent.

"And what if it turns out that the occupants of this household are here? We'll be charged for trespassing."

"Well, then we'll just have to make sure that we don't get caught," she replied, already making her way towards the right wing. "Besides, if we do find people it just means that this isn't some creepy ghost town."

"Didn't we just talk about the reason for the lack of people?" he said to her, following her down a small flight of polished steps that led to a cream-colored door with some sort of green emblem on the center of it. The insignia seemed to resemble something of a heart, but instead of ending at a point it continued to go down, two arms sticking out the sides, each ending with a sharp tip. It finally stopped at another point similar to the ones at its side.

"Well, yeah, but it never hurts to check if anyone's here," she reasoned, pushing open the door and walking into the dark hallway, a sliver of light peeking out from under a door.

They went up another small flight of shiny steps that led them to an entrance hall, but this one was significantly bigger than the one they had just gone through. Three imposing, floor-to-ceiling windows acted as the wall, the sun spilling pools of warmth and light all over the blue tile floor.

They strolled across the interminable corridor, their footsteps quietly bouncing off the walls as they walked. Along the right of the hallway near the end was a tall oak door, which Naminé opened without hesitation.

Inside was a bed positioned horizontally underneath three side by side Gothic windows, an oak dresser placed near the foot of the bed. Books were strewn about the wooden floor, some in stacks, some companionless. She read the title of one of the novels on the table:

"'Birth By Sleep'? Why is there even a book about that?" she murmured to herself. She suddenly noticed his presence and whirled around to face him.

"Weren't you looking in the left wing?" she asked, forgetting the fact that she talked to him before they entered the right wing.

"I was following you the whole time. Don't you remember me talking to you before you went through the hallway?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in suspicion.

"We did? Huh... Musta been on autopilot or something. Well, since you're here already, do you know what 'birth by sleep' means?"

"My only guess is what its literal meaning implies."

"Ugh, disgusting."

She began to look around the room. "Man, whoever lives here must be a bookworm... Whoa, they have a telescope, too!" she remarked, practically bounding towards the object. Then she remembered that it was afternoon, and that the only star in the sky was the sun, which would blind her if she looked at it through the telescope.

Her eye caught the sight of something leaning against the dresser, going over to retrieve whatever it was. It was a wooden toy sword, a myriads of dents and cracks embellishing it.

'A fighter, huh? God, this thing is so worn down. Must be a keepsake.' With that in mind she figured she'd best leave it be, after all this was someone else's stuff she was messing with.

She felt a bit ashamed for being so nosy, but her curiosity wouldn't be sated until it had explored almost everything in the castle.

"Let's go the other wing," she said, her inquisitiveness growing by the second.

The left wing was a mirrored image of the right, with the exception of two rooms directly parallel to each other on each side of the hallway.

They went into the left room and began to tinker with the things they found inside, Roxas no longer concerned with trespassing as he knew that nothing he could say would persuade her otherwise.

A cluttered desk was set beneath a windowsill, the cool breeze blandly tickling the papers. Next to the cedarwood desk was a four-poster bed cramped between the right wall and davenport. On the other side of it was a tall bookshelf that bridged the gap between the left wall and the unorganized table.

On the left wall was a walk-in closet full of women's clothing and shoes. The size of suggested a woman in her late twenties or early thirties.

Naminé walked over to the desk and barely brushed her fingertips against the paper when they heard the sound of the main entrance doors closing.

"Hello? Anyone here?" A female voice asked.

'OhfuckohfuckohfuckohfuCKOHFUCKOHFUCK!'

Her heard swerved to the window, thinking they could escape through there, but as she looked out to see how far down they'd have to go the drop told her otherwise.

She heard footsteps coming toward them.

"HIDE!" she scream-whispered to Roxas.

"Wouldn't it be easier to-"

"Just hide!"

The footsteps quickened.

Having limited options and even more limited time she dove underneath the bed, Roxas heading for the closet as it was the only spot available.

Naminé had just gotten her feet completely under the bed when she saw a pair of metallic shoes stand in the doorway. Her heart was beating so loud she thought it'd give them away. She stifled her breathing to be as silent as possibly while still managing to get a small stream of oxygen circulating through her lungs.

The woman walked inside. "I know you're here! Show yourself!" she demanded.

Her heart skipped a beat as the lady got near the bed.

'Keep it together, just stay quiet and she won't notice.'

The woman started to get down on her knees and look underneath the bed, making Naminé's heart stop all together. Nothing could help them now, they were going to get caught and it was all her fault.

As if God had answered an unspoken prayer, a knock enacted from the main doors, halting the woman's actions. She seemed to be debating whether or not to answer, but after a few nerve-racking moments she got back up and ran to the door to answer it.

As her footsteps gradually faded the trespassers crawled out of their hiding spots and hastily talked amongst themselves.

"All right, so she already knows that we're here, or at least one of us anyways, and she's at the only exit out of here, so if you have any ideas I'm all ears."

"As I was going to say before, I could carry you while we go out the window so you won't get hurt when we hit the ground."

"But that's a **really** big drop. Are you sure about this?"

"Have I let you down yet?"

"... No, but-"

They heard the woman barrel towards the room, her short, quick footfalls striking panic in Naminé's already erratic heart, her overwhelmed brain gluing the petrified girl to the floor.

Scooping up the immobile blonde in his arms, Roxas hopped on the table and hastily opened the sliding window wider so they could get through.

He jumped just as the woman rushed inside, her eyes catching a yellow blur falling from her window.

Her eyes widened.

'Was that...?'

She bolted towards the window, looking down for the slightest hint of gold. All she could see were the thick bushes that outlined the building.

'That was him, I know it was him!' she thought as she dashed out of her room, her mind conjuring up more and more questions by the second along with her heart being bombarded by too many emotions to even process before the next one hit her like an eighty foot wave.

* * *

"Okay, I think she left," Naminé said, crawling out of his protective makeshift fort. He pulled his hood down, revealing his face and hair.

"Are you hurt?"

"Nope, but Jesus, that was a close one. Sorry that I froze up, I dunno what happened, my mind just sort of-"

She cut herself off when she saw a blue-haired woman come thundering down the steps, her expression filled with determination. She made her way towards the bushes, every stride purposeful and confident.

Before Naminé could even say anything Roxas had already stood up and was walking towards the woman.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, keeping herself hidden among the jungly leaves.

"This woman is exhibiting signs of unfriendly behavior, and she may attempt to harm you. I'm doing what I was built to do: protect you."

"Look, lemme just talk to her first. She's got a good reason to be mad after all," she said, beginning to maneuver her way out of the shrubbery.

Just as her head broke through the surface of the bush, they noticed the bluenette staring almost disbelievingly at the golden-haired boy, her mouth slightly agape. Roxas stared back with cold, calculating eyes.

Tears suddenly slipped from her bluish-pink eyes, trailing down her youthful cheeks in silence. Her quivering lips barely choked out the next word she spoke:

"Ven..."

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hold on. Did I... Did I just fucking do that? You bet your beautiful ass I did. But wait! How can our precious cinammon roll exist while Roxas does too? You'll just have to read more to find out! Oh, and what I tried to describe on the door was Terra's Mark, which doesn't really make sense since Ven and Aqua wear it too, but that's what it's called.**

 **One last thing before I go: from here on out every ten followers this story gets I'll list the usernames of those wonderful human beings at the end of the chapter. If you wish to have your username removed then just PM me and I'll take it down as soon as I can. Now without further ado, I'd like to thank: Bloody Macaroon, Dustin246810, Escape the Shadow, Locke Es Foiles, Shiranai Atsune, The Dark Flair, TouyaGuren, Webb360, greycopp, and last but not least, luckyinugirl. Thank you all for the follow! I hope you continue to enjoy reading!**

 **Alright, so I lied about that being the last thing. I don't just want to thank those people for following, but also you for reading! If you're liking the story so far then please leave a review, or even if you didn't what did you not like? All kinds of criticism are accepted! And as always, I hope to see your username in the next one!**


	9. Ohana

_Disclaimer_ _: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters._

"Where have you been all these years?! I've looked everywhere for you: every town, every city, every village! I didn't know where you were or i-if you were hurt or worse! The world isn't always a nice place and I tried telling you that hoping you'd understand and that you wouldn't pull something like this, but you did and-!" The burning sensation in her throat that made every word impossible to say mixed in with the overwhelming emotions that she was feeling became too much for the distraught woman, her knees giving away like weak pillars collapsing under too much weight. Hopelessly wiping away at the tears that wouldn't stop flowing, she continued, wanting him to know how worried she was about him, how much pain he put her through, becuase if just explaining to him about running away wouldn't work, then surely this would. There was nothing Ven hated more than seeing a friend suffer. It was cruel for her to do something like this to him, but he needed to learn his lesson.

"I was so scared of losing you, Ven! There wasn't a day that went by that I wasn't thinking of you! I searched for so many years hoping that one of those days you'd turn up, but you didn't, and as the days went on my hope began to slowly fade away... Eventually I almost lost all hope that you were still alive and I went back here, that small part of me that somehow managed to keep holding on to that tiny inkling of faith praying that you'd return one day."

She looked up at her long-lost friend, breaking into a watery smile. "And now you're here... You're really, really here..." More salty tears made their way down her face, but she no longer tried to wipe them away. All that mattered to her was that Ven was here, safe and sound. All they needed to do now was find Te-

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I believe you have me confused with someone else," he icily explained, unmoved by the performance.

Her fragile smile slipped off her lips, her face contorting into a concerned frown. That didn't work? No tears, no sorry, no nothing? She thought for sure that he'd at least **sound** sorry. "W-What? Ventus, what are you saying?" she asked in disbelief, getting up off the ground.

"My name is Roxas, not Ventus."

"W-What? What are you talking about?!" she asked, shocked at the words that came out of his mouth. There was no way this could be someone else! Ven didn't have any living blood-related family, so the possibility of an identical twin was out of the question.

At least, he never spoke of one...

Maybe it was a joke. It had to be, but why now out of all times?

"That isn't funny, Ven, you had me worried to death! Why would you even joke abou-!"

"I assure you I'm not joking, ma'am. I have no memory of ever meeting you in my whole entire life," he stated, indifferent to the horrified expression that flickered across her face.

The bluenette's heart dropped into her stomach and shattered into a million pieces when it hit the bottom. He wasn't kidding. He wouldn't be able say that even if his life depended on it; but if this wasn't Ven, then who else could it be? Who was this stranger that looked so much like her young friend?

No, no, this is **had** to be Ventus. Maybe he had an accident that made him lose his memory. This wouldn't be the first time that it's happened. If that was the case, then she needed to find something that would trigger his memory. Or rather someONE.

"Terra... You remember Terra don't you?" she asked desperately in hopes that maybe saying his name would bring back a memory or event.

She remembered how they'd have be careful about what they said around him as he was in a somewhat fragile state of mind when Eraqus brought him home. They didn't know where he had come from or who his parents were, but just the look on his face and the skinniness of his body was enough to see that he needed someone care for him, and they were more than willing to do just that. After all, if it wasn't for Eraqus taking them in they wouldn't here today. He had to remember them, he **HAD** to. They were family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.

"I don't ever recall meeting any Terra," he tonelessly answered.

"But you must! Oh, Ven, you have to remember! The memories are in you somewhere, you just have to look deep inside yourself to find it!" she coached, on the brink of losing that microscopic glimmer of light that was still shining somewhere within one of the million shards of her heart.

She stepped towards him, thinking that if words couldn't reach him, maybe a familiar hug would. At this point she was willing to try anything.

He took a step back, beginning to feel tense. This woman must either be delusional or a mental patient. Perhaps she was in denial over the disappearance and possible death of Ventus and he just happened to look like him. Whatever the case was he needed to be prepared to defend himself. Considering the fact that Naminé was right behind him, and her pacifist ways, he best knock her unconscious quickly.

She felt another painful sting in her heart when she saw him step back, but nonetheless she kept her voice steady.

"Ven, please try to remember. It's me, Aqua..."

An idea popped into her head, making her eyes flash with rejuvenated strength.

"If you don't believe me, I can show you! I have proof! Wait right here!" she instructed, powering up the steps to the castle.

Naminé, who had been listening to the whole entire conversation within the bush, was utterly speechless. How could she know about Roxas if he never existed before? There was no way she could've known about him. She had to be delusional; she **must** be delusional.

'But that whole rant that she just had... People don't just make up things like that. Those words sounded too real, too true to be fake, even if she was crazy. Maybe not everything she said was entirely false. Maybe she was telling the truth to some extent...'

She crawled out of her hiding spot, wiping the dirt off her knees as she stood up. "So, what do you think?"

"About?"

"What she just said. Should we stay and see what supposed proof she has, or should we go and get as far away from her as we can?"

"We should leave. She may be under substance abuse or suffering from some sort of mental illness. Our safest bet is to go while she isn't looking."

"Do you believe anything she said?" she asked as they begun walking close together, throwing an apprehensive look at the castle behind them before turning back to him.

"No. Nothing she said seems at all possible," he matter-of-factly stated, the lack of sympathy in his voice sending a chill down Naminé's spine.

"But she sounded like she really did miss you with all her heart. That's gotta count for something, right?"

"Anything said with the right amount of feeling and authenticity can sound real and convincing. It's just acting. I'll demonstrate."

He suddenly made his way in front of her and grabbed hold of her right hand, interlacing their fingers together, using his right to gently caress the left side of her face with his thumb.

"Whoa, what are you-"

" **I love you** ," he huskily whispered, slowly leaning towards her face until the tip of their noses lightly brushed against one another, "so, so much..." he murmured, snaking his hands around her hips, pressing her stunned body against to his. Indigo stared wide-eyed at cobalt; cobalt calmly stared right back.

Naminé licked her lips in anticipation. 'Damn, he's good...'

Roxas slowly began to tilt his head to the right, nearly closing the gap in between them, as did Naminé. Their soft lips were just a hair's breadth apart when he stepped back, his hands sliding off her hips.

"But in actuality I was merely saying pleasant words in a passionate manner. Of course, you knew that was just an act given the suddenness of my-so called 'confession'. However, if we were students at a high school and I said to you that I liked you, you would've most likely believed it to be true, would you not?" he finished, the caring, loving tone that he was using earlier replaced by a cold-hearted, manipulative tonality.

"Yeah, yeah, I get your point," she huffed, internally repressing the warmth that she felt blossoming in her chest, "but was the performance really necessary?"

"I was just trying to prove my point, since just telling you doesn't always seem to work."

"Whatever," she said, deliberately avoiding eye contact with the blond as her face felt as hot as an oven. "Let's see if there's a store somewhere around here, I need to buy some things."

* * *

Aqua frantically scurried into her room, bolting to her bed and carelessly tossing her pillow halfway across the room. Underneath it was a slightly faded 5"x7" photo of a twenty-year-old Aqua, a twenty-year-old Terra, a forty-ish old Eraqus (he stopped counting his years around forty as he didn't see the point in keeping track anymore), and a fourteen-year-old Ventus all smiling at the camera as Ven had just celebrated his fourth year of joining his new family, white vanilla icing from his cake still smudged on his chin and lip.

'This should convince him!'

She ran as quick as she could out the door and down the steps, the photograph tightly clutched in her hand, but when she finally arrived at the circular area at the foot of the stairs, she saw no sign of Ventus anywhere.

"Ven?" she called out, whipping her head around, "Ven?!"

'No... Did he leave?'

"Ven?"

Deafening silence.

"VEN?!"

No answer.

'No... No, he was right here! I know he was! I'm not about to lose him again! He must've gone somewhere, but where...?'

* * *

Eventually the drifters discovered a small but busy market place a few miles behind the citadel, its behemoth shadow sluggishly crawling along the land behind it as hours lazily passed by. Clamoring shouts of merchants and buyers buzzed throughout the market, creating the stereotypical atmosphere of a bustling shopping place.

Hundreds of wooden tables with a variety of diverse foods, clothes, and jewelry outlined the pathway, the trail itself seeming to go on for miles and miles on end.

All around her vendors shouted numerous calls of invaluable items at bargain prices like it was the Second Coming, but Naminé wasn't all that interested in jack-o'-lanterns from Halloween Town or some 'magic' lamp from Agrabah. No, she was here for one thing and one thing only.

She had her mind fixed on finding a set of clean underwear. She had been wearing the same pair for almost two weeks and she felt completely filthy. Now that they finally had money she was determined to buy a few pairs of underpants so that she could finally feel somewhat close to the hygienic standard. She knew she could be worse off, and she was thankful that she didn't have flies buzzing around her head 24/7, but something about the area **down** **there** being unsanitary made her inwardly cringe.

Her acute eyes caught sight of what she was looking for lying on a plain cerulean blue table cloth on the ground. She made her way to the elderly woman wearing a crimson red hijab sitting cross-legged behind the cloth, her head slightly bowed.

"Um, excuse me."

The woman's head snapped up as if something scared her from a deep sleep.

"Yes, would you like to buy something?" she asked, her voice tired and exhausted.

"Uh, yes. How much for three of these?" Naminé asked, pointing to a pair that seemed to be her size.

"$30."

'Thirty bucks?! That's a lot for just three, but I dunno if anyone else is selling underwear...'

"...All right," she gave in, Roxas handing Naminé the money, who in turn gave it to the bronzed woman. The broker toothily smiled as she took the cash and reached behind her to grab the garments. She turned back to them and, with a swindler's smile, wished them good day as she handed the girl her wares.

Naminé forced herself to smile back as she thanked the woman, knowing fully well that she was cheated out of her money.

'At least you got what you came for, and besides, she's just trying to earn a living like everyone else here. Who knows, maybe she gave you a pair of magic panties...'

Growing hungry a little while later after some window shopping, the pair tromped back up the shrubby mountain to the inn. The innkeeper was nowhere to be seen when they arrived, so they went into their room until she came back to give her the money to stay for another night.

As Naminé happily ate a can of soup, she noticed the reticent blond suddenly whip his head to the left of the door, intensely staring at it. Before she could ask what he was looking at, she heard an all too familiar voice call out from the lobby.

"Hello? Marie-Anne?"

She stopped eating as soon as her brain recognized the person.

'How did she know we were here?! Has she been stalking us ever since she talked to Roxas?'

She heard the door behind the counter open.

"Aqua, it's always a lovely surprise to see you! So, I'm guessing you're here to visit Ventus?"

'Now she's calling Roxas 'Ventus', too? What the hell is going on?! And how did she know that we were here?'

"Yes. Oh, and thank you again for telling me that he was here! I wouldn't have known where he went if it wasn't for you."

'Wait... That knock on the door when we were hiding... Could that've been her...?'

"Of course! I know how much you've missed him, and I have, too. Oh, you wouldn't believe how surprised I was when he came in here with that girl! I didn't say anything because I was scared that if I did he would've run away again. Speaking of the girl, was she with him?"

"No, I didn't see any girl, but when I met him, he acted as if we were total strangers! The Ven I knew would've never done that!"

"The strange thing about that is he didn't say anything to me, either! He just let the girl do all the talking! Almost like he was too scared to..."

"Are you implying something, Marie-Anne?"

"Well... It's just a little thought I had, but maybe the girl is making him act that way. She could be controlling him by threatening him. It happens all the time in soap operas and dramas, but it may be possible. She seems like a nice girl, but you know what they say: looks can be deceiving. Now that I say it out loud, it seems somewhat plausible. I mean, not to be rude, but Ven can sometimes be a bit... naive."

"Yeah, I see what you mean, but even so why would he pretend that he didn't know me when she wasn't around?"

"She could've been hiding somewhere, then! It makes sense, doesn't it? If you were in her position, you'd always want to keep an eye on the person you're controlling so that they wouldn't tell anyone!"

"That... actually makes a lot of sense! If that's the case, then we've got to do something about it! Can you show me to their room, please?"

Naminé's heart nearly stopped as her breath hitched in her throat, anxiously awaiting the innkeeper's reply.

"I'm very sorry, Aqua, but as much as I want to, I have to follow privacy rules. You know how it is, don't you?"

"...Yes, I'm aware..." she sighed gloomily.

The girl let out a small relieving sigh.

"But I can get you a discounted room so that when they come back you could sort things out with him."

"Really? You can do that?"

"Other than the privacy rule I can do whatever I please. I do own the inn, after all; the rule is just government-mandated."

"Oh, I see. So how much will it cost?"

"$30."

"All right, my money's at home, but I'll be right back in a sec."

"Okay."

"Fuck..." she whispered to herself. Now they had two people who were convinced that Roxas was someone else. Not only that, but now both were only a few steps away from them. What should they do now? Should they stay and avoid the two as much as possible? Should they find another hotel to stay in, or should they just leave the world all together?

'We might have to walk a while before we find another hotel, and they may try to hunt as down while we are... But I really wanna see more of the world, too... I mean, just to be safe we should go to the other world... But what if they follow us there, too? God, too many things are happening already, and we just got here...'

 _Knock knock knock._

"Hello?" the old woman asked.

"Yes?" Naminé answered as even as she could.

"I was just swinging by to see if you two were staying another night. Are you?"

"Yeah, we are. Should I pay you now or...?"

"Now is fine."

"Okay, I'll be there in a sec," she called, digging inside the knapsack for the money. When she found it she opened the door and handed her the cash.

"Thank you very much," the woman grinned.

"Welcome," she smiled back.

"Say, where's the boy that was with you?" she casually asked, her peridot-colored orbs staring almost accusingly like they could see straight through her.

"He's in the shower right now," she smoothly answered, internally hoping that lying wouldn't become a bad habit of hers.

"Oh, okay. I know it isn't any of my business, but I was just curious," Marie-Anne apologized.

"Oh, no, it's fine," Naminé assured.

"All right, well, I'll leave you two be for now. I hope you sleep well."

"Thank you, you too," Naminé said, closing the door. She let out another sigh of relief. She looked outside the window directly ahead of the door and saw that night had already claimed the sky once more.

'Nighttime already? We barely even did anything! Then again the things we did do took a lot outta us...'

A small flicker of green light from outside stopped her mind in its tracks. She made her way towards the open window and leaned outside, her curiosity taking control once again. The cool relaxing breeze of dusk sent the flaxen tendrils of hair dancing on her forehead, lightly tickling her with a feathery touch.

A moment later she spotted three more lights suddenly appear, each one only lasting a second before it quickly faded away like a shy ghost. She relaxed and allowed a tiny, almost imperceptible nostalgic smile on her lips.

Fireflies. She hadn't seen these little guys since June. Maybe she should relive the good parts of her childhood and catch some for old times' sake. It wouldn't take very long, and they **are** right there...

'Well, it wouldn't hurt anybody...'

Sticking to that thought, she swung her right leg over the ledge of the low window.

"Where are you going?" she heard Roxas ask.

"Outside. I wanna catch a couple fireflies. You can come if you wanna," she offered.

"Sure," he said, climbing out the window after her.

He looked out into the sea of deciduous trees that surrounded the entire inn, scanning for any sign of dangerous wildlife in the area. The only threat he picked up was potential mosquito-borne illnesses, but for the most part it was safe.

He turned to Naminé who was concentrating on a particular _Lampyridae_ , her hand rapidly entrapping it before it could fly out of her reach.

"Ya know, I used to do this all the time in the summer. 'N fact everyone and their mother did. I'd go in the woods with Pence's friends and a whole bunch of other kids from the block, and we'd all wait 'til the sun went down to catch 'em. Sometimes we brought a jar with little holes drilled in to the lid so they could breathe and we'd keep 'em in there. We'd let 'em go eventually, of course, but it was cool looking at the fireflies while they were still inside the jar," she reminisced, slowly opening her hands up. The lightning bug crawled out of its temporary tomb and took flight, emitting a soft emerald light as it did.

Another firefly flew right above her head just barely out of her reach, like it was deliberately teasing her. She blindingly followed it into the thick forest, determined to capture it. She went a bit too far for Roxas' liking and, after a few seconds of waiting for her to come back, went after her.

The trees hid the moon behind its leaves casting thin fragile beams of moonlight in the air, the forest floor becoming dotted with patches of light and shadows of leaves that moved every so often when the wind tickled them.

He soon found the girl sitting on her knees near the edge of a small secluded clearing encompassed by trees. When he reached her she was peering inside her clasped hands with her right eye. He sat cross-legged next to her as she released the fire beetle.

They listened to the symphonic sounds of nature undisturbed by mankind: crickets chirping animatedly, an owl hooting from somewhere within the dense forest, and the wind whispering little secrets through the trees, making their leaves shiver in excitement.

"Do you think that things'll ever go back to being like this? All quiet and peaceful?" Naminé quietly asked, shattering the calming atmosphere.

"What do you mean by 'things'?" he asked.

"Like, when we get to Radiant Garden, do you think that our lives will become... normal? Like the way it was before the bomb?"

"...I don't know. That's not for me to say."

"Right, sorry. I'm just... just a little... sad, I suppose. I try not to think about it too much, but... I miss a lot of things and a lot of people. It... It sort of feels like a large hole in my chest, like someone ripped out a piece of my being and crushed it up right in front of me. It... It kinda hurts a bit, but at the same time it leaves me feeling... empty and hollow, like a part of me is missing, and I don't know how to find it... It's... scary," she divulged, her voice beginning to get a little wobbly. She took a moment to swallow the massive lump in her throat and continued.

"I... I've never felt like this before, and I don't know how to cope with it, so I'm just pushing the feeling down. I... I've never felt this... weak and powerless in my whole life. I don't know what to do or even if I **can** do something. I don't know what to do to fill up hole inside me, and that scares me. I mean, I can't ignore it, I can't keep pushing it down hoping that it'll magically disappear on its own. I-"

She sighed. "l sometimes wish for just one more day with Pence and everyone else. It may sound foolish and maybe even a little stupid, but just one more day with them, just one more day... I think that'll fill the hole in my heart," she finished, trails of tears still visible in the pale blue moonlight.

"...I'm sorry. I'm supposed to keep you happy, but I'm failing. I'm sorry that I don't know how to make you happy. If I'd known-"

"You don't have to apologize. You already make me happy by just being here," she smiled.

"I do?"

"Yup."

"Oh. But what you just said suggested that you were extremely upset."

"Well, sometimes, yeah, but with you here it's not as bad."

She realized that they've been outside for a while so she stood up and brushed herself off.

"Ah, well, I dunno about you but I think I've had my fill of drama for the day. I'm beat. We should head back now I think."

"Yes, I think so, too."

The pair returned to the inn and, before they went off to bed, counted the remaining money they had left.

"$450, good." She turned to Roxas. "So, I was sorta thinking about whether or not we should stay here. I mean, we've only been here for roughly a day, but with the whole Ven thing that's going on, I dunno if we should stay here or move on to the next world. So, what do you say? Should we stay or should we go?"

"We should leave so those women don't try to follow us."

"But what if they do follow us while we're leaving?"

"Then we'll have to ask them to leave us alone."

"And if they don't?"

"...We'll have to use other methods, then."

"Exactly what kind of 'other methods'?"

"If they refuse to leave and they get hostile, then I may need to use physical force to get them to leave."

"Physical force?! One of them is just an old lady!" she gasped.

"But they may-"

"But nothing! Listen to me, I'm giving you a command, and this is the only time that I'll ever do it. You will not kill a single living being, all right? Do you understand? Not a single living, breathing being, okay?" she ordered.

"I'm sorry, I'm unable to comply with your command. My guideline-"

"I don't care what your stupid guidelines say! Don't kill people or anything living for that matter!"

"As I've told you before-"

"Please stop talking. I've heard enough," she spat, glaring at the android. He did just as he was told and closed his mouth.

"I don't understand. If you're capable of caring for me, why can't you care for others? They aren't just another target to destroy: they're people. People leading a life of their own. People with hopes and dreams. Each and every single one of them. Remember that."

Turning on her heel, she took a pair of undergarments and made her way to the washroom, locking it with extra force behind her.

 ** _A/N:_** **This took a lot longer than I initially expected it to be. Wow. I actually thought I would have a late upload, but never mind! So, I think that RokuNami-crazed side of me took over me when I was typing up Roxas' "demonstation". I'm debating if I should leave it in there. Honestly it's up to you guys. Too OOC or no? Leave your thoughts in your reviews if you kindly would. Speaking of reviews, the story has almost 20 already! That may or may not be a big deal to some of you, but it's definitely an achievement in my eyes. Thanks a lot. :)**

 **Before I end the author's notes, I kinda want to see what you guys think happened to Ven. I'd love to see what theories you all come up with. I can't give out internet pastries of any sort to the person with the closest answer to the actual reason because I can't bake for shit, but at least you'll know that you were somewhat on the nose there? I dunno, I just really want to see what y'all come up with.**

 **So, with all that said and done, thank you all for reading! Feel free to review if you liked it or if you didn't. I'm open to any sort of criticism. And, as per usual, I hope to your username again in the next installment!**


	10. Tension in the Mountains

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

"...ry, Aqua, but I simply cannot allow you to do that!" Naminé heard the innkeeper exclaim, rudely interrupting her slumber.

"I know, I know that, Marie-Anne, but I just... I just-!"

The air was suddenly filled with quiet, muffled sobbing.

"I-I m-miss h-him s-s-so m-much..." she whimpered, her lips uncontrollably trembling, causing her to stutter, "A-And I k-know h-h-he's r-right there, b-but..."

"Aqua, please, try t-to control yourself," the elder woman consoled, sounding a little choked up herself, "you're going to make me cry, too, and trust me when I say that I howl like a banshee."

"Y-Yeah, you're right," she heard Aqua say, imagining a broken smile spreading across her lips, "I'm sorry for losing control of my emotions like that."

"Oh, no need to apologize! I completely understand. I would do the same if I were in your position. Now, let's just wait until they come out to talk to them, okay?"

"Okay," Aqua concured, "Thank you so much for being there, Marie-Anne. I would be a blubbering mess if it wasn't for you and your constant support."

"Oh, you're making me embarrassed! It's nothing, really. I'm always happy to help."

With that being said, Naminé heard the bluenette walk from the lobby to her room directly across from theirs, the door creaking to a shut.

'We've got to leave. **Now** ,' she thought, quickly sitting up as she tried as briskly as she could to check their supplies in case something was missing as she attempted to detangle her tousled hair. So far everything seemed to be in place, which greatly relieved her.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her palms and silently yawned, trying to wake herself up.

She turned to the spiky-haired blond laying on his back on the other bed, his expression absent.

'Was it what I said yesterday? Maybe I should've been more... No, no, what I said was completely reasonable. I'm just trying my best to keep him from going on some kill frenzy just because someone bumped in to me while they were walking. He just needs to remember that every life is valuable.'

"Roxas."

He turned to her as fast as lightning. "Yes?"

"We gotta get goin'. They're already up, so we're goin' out through the window."

"Okay," he said, getting up. "I can carry the backpack if you'd like," he offered.

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

Making their way out the window and around the inn to reach the trail that lead them out of the forest, they began their journey to the next world.

"So, how exactly do we get to wherever we're going next?" she asked, trying to disperse the stiff atmosphere around them.

"There's a wooden door inside one of the caves in the outer mountains. I can't pinpoint the exact location, but that's our way out."

"Oh, okay," she said, not knowing how to make a conversation out of what he said.

'Why do I feel like I shouldn't say anything? It's not like we don't know each other. I can trust him... I think.'

She couldn't help but glance at the blond in question out of the corner of her eye from time to time. He didn't acknowledge the fact that she was stealing glances at him as he usually did, and based on his facial expression he seemed to be thinking, but about what?

'Maybe I'm overthinking it. I'm just a little nervous, that's all.'

* * *

As they approached the foot of the mountains, Naminé crane her neck upwards to see just how tall the rocky massif was. She squinted as the sun temporarily blinded her as her eyes continued to climb up the sierra.

"Rock climbing equipment doesn't seem necessary from what I can see, but there are a few narrow paths we may have to cross," he noted, his quick decisive eyes already mapping out the safest and fastest route.

"All right, let's go then," she began without hesitation, making her way up the bluish-gray rocks. Admittedly, her sandals weren't a huge help, but she pressed on nonetheless. It was going to be a long trip, and complaining wouldn't make it any easier, she knew that.

During their hike she tried to think of any sort of conversation starters, but for some reason her mind couldn't come up with any. Although she told herself she was overthinking the whole situation, her mind would always come back to the same question: should she really trust him...?

'Of course I can! His purpose is to literally make sure that I'm safe and sound. He's going to be by my side until the day I die I assume. There's nothing more trustworthy than that. But still... There's just something so damn... unnerving when he talks about hurting people or even killing people like it's not a big deal. Then again his main function is to protect me... Maybe he isn't capable of sympathizing with others, and I don't exactly know how to teach sympathy. It just sort of exists within us.'

Trying to get her mind off the troubling question, she looked around her environment to set her at ease. So far all she could see were rocks, rocks, and more rocks, but at least the sky was a refreshing change of scenery...

Fortunately the further they ascended, the more wildlife she began to notice lurking in the seemingly inhabitable, desolate landscape. What she really found odd were the goats that effortlessly trotted sharp rock to sharp rock like it was nothing. She even saw a few headbutting each other near cliffs, loud cracks ripping through the still air like thunder. She could even hear the faint bleats and _baas_ of multiple kids and other does and bucks fill the empty mountain air.

She also spotted several chinchillas sleeping inside the crevices of the mountain, their fur camouflaging them, making them hard to distinguish from their background.

Suddenly Roxas, who was ahead of her, abruptly stopped walking, causing Naminé to nearly walk in to the backpack.

"Here's that path I was talking about earlier," he informed, turning to her. "Please be very careful."

"Got it."

"All right," he said, turning to the dangerous trail ahead.

At first they were doing fine, moving at a slow, cautious pace as they hugged the stony wall to their left, taking care not to look downwards. Naminé bravely fought her curiosity off all throughout the time they were on the bumpy, narrow trail, resisting the urge to take a quick peek down.

When they were nearly almost all the way across, she heard Roxas say something to her, but the loud wind in her ears blocked out most of his words.

"Say that again, but louder this time."

"I said we have to jump!"

"Jump?!"

"Yes. The ledge dosen't connect to the other side."

"How big's the gap?"

"Admittedly it's a rather wide, but..." He launched himself off the rocky edge and rolled as he hit the rough ground slightly below them. He quickly got up and turned to Naminé. "I'll catch you," he finished.

Naminé got a good look of the gap herself. She couldn't quite tell if she would be able to make the jump. Maybe if she really put enough force in to her leap, then she could make it.

"I dunno if I can do this..."

"Just relax until you feel ready to jump, and when you do don't think about what you're doing, just do it."

His words did little to boost her confidence. "I dunno... I was never really that athletic..."

"That doesn't matter. As long as you can jump you can make it."

He saw that she still had doubts about her capability, so he changed his words.

"All right, if that doesn't help, then maybe this will: you know my main objective is to keep you alive, correct? And you know that I intend to fulfill that agenda to the best of my ability. I promise I will catch you. Trust me, I won't let you fall."

'Trust you, huh? Is that really such a good idea...?'

'Of course it is!' she chided herself, 'Why am I doubting him so much? If he says that he'll catch me, then he'll catch me. End of story.'

"...All right, I trust you," she replied, backing away from the ledge to add some velocity to her leap of faith. She let out a heavy sigh, clearing her mind of any doubts and dismissing the tension in her muscles.

'Just jump. All you have to do is jump.'

Her heart rampaging inside her like a wild animal caged, she trained her eyes to where Roxas was. A flicker of fear appeared inside her mind, but she brushed it off and courageously ran along the slippery edges of rock, propelling herself off at the very last second.

Just for a moment, she felt a sudden burst of riotous excitement and vitality surge through her veins as time slowed down for a split second. The adrenaline rush was like nothing she's ever felt before. She felt strong, powerful, invincible even! Like she could take on the entire world-no, every single world at once! It was... intoxicating...

All too soon, the sensation was cruelly snatched out of her arms as time resumed and she felt her body begin to rapidly plummet to the ground. With all the courage sucked out of her spirit, she closed her eyes out of fear and hoped to God that she'd make it.

She felt his arms wrap around her small waist as she fell, stopping her from splatting into the ground. When she peeked out from underneath her eyelids, she found herself mere centimeters away from his face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his grip on her just barely tightening.

Naminé vehemently shook her head, choosing not to talk as she felt just the tiniest bit bashful at the moment.

"Good," he smiled, letting her down. Naminé quickly pulled down her dress as the hem was hitched directly above her hips as he caught her, exposing her shorts for a few seconds.

Smoothing out the crinkles, she forced the blush on her face to recede and they continued onward.

"Thanks by the way. I dunno if I say it often, but thanks," she said, briefly turning to him then looking straight ahead.

"For catching you? I hardly believe that's anything to be thanked for."

"No, no, I meant thank you for when you were motivating me-rather when you **tried** to. I appreciate the effort is what I'm trying to say."

"Oh. You're welcome."

"Hey, I'm actually getting kinda hungry. Let's take a quick lunch break and then keep going."

"Sure."

Finding a flat, wide rock to sit on, Naminé scarfed down a can of soup and a few handfuls of tree nuts, washing it all down with a bottle of water. With her body refueled, they made sure they didn't drop any supplies before heading off.

Hours later they encountered their first cave just before the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Unfortunately, this wasn't the cave the were looking for, but it would instead serve as their resting place for the night.

Feeling a little chilly, the blonde slipped on her blue hoodie that she had tied around her waist for the longest time, retracting her arms and legs inside to conserve heat.

As Roxas gathered the components necessary to start the fire, Naminé sat cross-legged near the entrance of their temporary shelter, silently watching the various hues flaming red, casual orange, boisterous yellow, and graceful pink merrily dance across the firament.

The spectacle was over once the sun left; midnight blue curtains flecked with tiny white polka dots almost invisible to the naked eye confirming its end.

When she finally looked over at Roxas she saw he already the fire up and running, quiet pops and crackles enacting from the wooden fire.

"Well that was quick," she remarked, plopping herself next to roaring fire and drawing the backpack closer to her. She pulled out the rolled up sleeping bag and spread it out just far enough from the fire so it wouldn't ignite, but also to warm the sleeping bag to a toasty temperature.

Snuggling into the burgundy sleep sack, she made a makeshift pillow with her arms and sighed with content.

"G'night," she murmured before drifting off.

"Good night."

* * *

Roxas picked up the inaudible sound of soft paws prowling near the cave's entrance, alerting him of an intruder. He stood up and silently made his way to the entrance, the fire meekly burning behind him.

As he was just approaching the opening, he was warned to keep his distance by a sharp bark emanating from the hostile animal.

It moved closer to the cave, revealing itself to be a fulvous coyote with its lips curled back in a tight snarl. Its amber eyes burned wih intense hunger, and upon closer inspection he could clearly make out the ribs sticking out against the fur like its skin was too tight for its body. The coyote had its ears pinned back and its back arched, ready to pounce at any moment.

Roxas tried the same tactic he used for the rabid dog, humming at just the right frequency to hopefully drive it off. The noise only further irratated the already agitated animal, giving it the incentive to launch itself at Roxas, its razor-sharp teeth aching to sink itself into his neck and rip off his succulent flesh.

With an uncanny speed far beyond that of man, he quickly seized the coyote by the throat, stopping it mere inches from his face. Then, before the poor animal could even react, he forcefully clamped down on its neck, severing the carotid arteries and crushing part of its spinal cord and windpipe instantly.

Dropping his hand but still holding on to the coyote, he dragged the body out of the cave and onto the cliff outside. He impassively tossed the carcass over the edge of the precipice, not even bothering to watch it fall as he turned on his heel and made his was way back to his post next Naminé.

He resumed his duty of standing guard, his eyes occasionally drifting over to the sleeping girl unaware of the swift but brutal execution that just occurred a few feet in front of her. For the time being he'd keep that to himself. Telling her would most likely result in her becoming deeply upset, even if it did want to make her its next meal.

Roxas noticed the fire beginning to diminish and debated whether or not to collect more wood. He decided against it as she already had enough warmth from her body's heat reflecting inside sleeping bag, and by leaving she'd be highly vulnerable to more attacks. It wasn't worth the risk.

By the time Naminé woke up the fire was nothing but a small ring of stones, a few twigs, and some ashes. She stretched her arms out in a wide arc as she yawned.

"Good morning," he greeted as per usual.

"Morning," she murmured, sitting up cross-legged. She yawned once more and rubbed the sand out of her eyes.

"You seem a little more tired than you usually are. Did you sleep well last night?" he asked, taking note of how exhausted her eyes looked.

She drozily nodded, mumbling an 'uh-huh'.

"There's no harm in getting some extra hours of rest if you need it," he encouraged, unconvinced by her sluggish demeanor.

"I'm good," she assured, crawling out of the bedroll and rolling it up to stuff into the backpack.

"If you say so..."

After another handful of nuts Roxas carried the backpack once again before they were off to recommence their quest to find the mysterious wooden door, the reticent blond staying alert for any other animals they might encounter.

Meanwhile a drowsy Naminé struggled just to keep her eyes open and keep her head up while walking. All right, so maybe she lied just a **little** bit about feeling okay. She only had a minor headache, it was nothing she couldn't handle. She's powered through these before. She was sure it'd go away with time.

As for the lethargicness, she had no idea where that came from. She wasn't lying to him that time when she said that she slept well, and she couldn't recall any strange dreams or nightmares either. Hopefully the sleepiness would wear off as the day went on.

It didn't. As the day dragged on the somnolent girl found it increasingly harder and harder to keep up with her companion. He noticed the strain she was putting on herself and insisted that she stop and rest but she refused as she knew she could go on a little bit farther. In addition she's been uncharacteristically quiet for an unusually long period of time, which meant that there was something on her conscious that she wasn't telling him about. He didn't force the issue, but it was definitely another ingredient added to the stew he was in.

After coming across six more caves (all free of doors), Naminé's movements had become heavy and uncoordinated, bumping into Roxas several times and almost losing her balance on multiple accounts like a drunk. This time when he urged her to rest she finally gave in.

After she put on the knapsack, he got down on one knee with his back to her so he could carry her piggyback style. Once on, he gripped the underside of her milky-white thighs and stood up, resuming their trek as she slept.

Fortunately, they haven't run into any other animals yet, but he was sure that when the sun went down they wouldn't have that luxury anymore.

* * *

A bag of dried fruit and half a bottle later, Naminé climbed onto his back and within minutes fell asleep. As Roxas continued, he tried to think of reasonable explanations as to what caused her weariness.

The most likely scenario was that she lied to him about having a good night's sleep, or perhaps she was stressed out over something and she wasn't telling him. He thought that by now she would've told him what was bothering her, but it seemed like she'd rather keep her problems to herself for the time being. The thought troubled him. Keeping to herself like that wasn't healthy. She was only making it harder for herself. He wanted to help her, but she wasn't letting him.

At that moment Roxas heard rocks shiff behind them, forcing him to put his thoughts on hold as he whirled around to face whatever made the sound. Seeing nothing, he listened intently for any movement, but heard none and apprehensively resumed walking. He had to remain vigilant and alert, not engrossed in his thoughts.

By the time Roxas found the next cave the moon was already high in the sky, its full beauty visible from their rocky shelter. Carefully, he gently pried the sleeping girl off himself and rolled out the sleeping bag. Slipping it over her, he sat down next to Naminé with one leg extended and the other bent.

As he stared at the entrance he noted that their supplies were low. They'd last a couple more days if Naminé skipped eating every other day or so, although he didn't necessarily like the idea. Considering how weak she seemed today, he wanted her to eat as much as she could to regain her strength and stamina. He could hope for her condition to improve, but he knew that was just wishful thinking.

He looked over at the girl and noticed her staring at the ceiling.

"You should be sleeping."

"I'm not tired," she stated, her eyes still trained on a particular spot above her.

"You should still try to get as much rest as you can," he suggested, turning back to the opening. He heard her shuffle through the backpack, taking out the half-empty bottle of water.

"We're gonna need to get some more food soon..." he heard her murmur before she took a sip. She fell back asleep after finishing the bottle.

He stared at her for a little bit, wondering just what was racing through her mind. What was bothering her so much? More importantly, why wasn't she telling him about it like she usually did? It wasn't only stressing her out, but him as well. Maybe she thought that she could tough it out on her own? Whatever it was, he just wanted her to tell him. He needed to know what the problem was so he could try to help.

He just wanted her to be okay.

* * *

After putting on the backpack, Naminé automatically latched herself onto his back, knowing that she didn't have the energy for the journey ahead of them.

Finally, Roxas decided to ask the blonde what was the matter.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?"

She shook her head and buried her face into his shoulder. "Just a little tired, that's all..."

"No, that's **not** all. There's something else you're not telling me," he stated accusingly, her sleepy mind not even registering his abnormally harsh tone.

"It's not a big deal," she yawned.

"Maybe not to you, but to me, it is. What's wrong?"

"I told you, I'm just tired."

"I know you're lying."

"Fine, I've had a small headache for a day or so, now can I sleep?" she impatiently asked.

"Exactly when did it start to hurt?"

"When I woke up yesterday," she drowsily replied, already beginning to close her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I could've helped you," he asked, growing frustrated at her off handed replies.

Once again, her mind didn't pick up the anger in his voice as anything out of the ordinary. "Jesus, can't you just relax for a second? I didn't say anything 'cause it was nothing worth mentioning. Would you tell everyone that a storm's coming when there's only a single tiny cloud in the sky? No, so why bother telling you?" she pointed out, less considerate of his emotions than usual as she felt extremely cranky and just wanted to sleep the day away.

"Because I wouldn't have had to worry about what was making you act so different! It worries me when you keep things to yourself even though it's clear that something's bothering you! You're only making it harder on yourself, and you know that, but you do it anyway! I can't do anything to help you, and it's infuriating but at the same time it-!"

His eyes widened as he was suddenly aware of the words he was saying and he immediately began to apologize for his behavior.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mea-"

"No, no, you don't have to apologize. Don't you see? This is progress!" she eagerly exclaimed, all traces of sleepiness suddenly gone like it never existed. "The fact that you didn't mean to say it means that you're relying less on the chip or whatever tells you what to do and more on the way you feel!" She wrapped her legs around his hips and squeezed him in excitement. "You're becoming human!"

"Naminé, you're missing the point. If something's wrong I want you to tell me, even if you think it's not worth mentioning. It'd make it easier on the both of us," he said, seeing as how she was more focused on his tone of voice rather than the actual words he said.

Her mind was still buffering a little while he talked, and as soon as she processed his words she felt a hot wave of shame wash over her. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I'm such a fucking idiot! I didn't mean to make you feel like that at all! My mind was just all over the place and-" She sighed. "Sorry..."

"It's okay, but for now, I'd like to see if there's any medicine in the first-aid kit for your headache."

"Okay, hold on..."

* * *

"Hey, so this now just occurred to me, but that was probably the first time you felt angry, huh?" Naminé asked as they walked side by side, the Aspirin she took earlier working its magic, enabling her to walk without complaint.

"Yes."

"I know I've said this a thousand times, but I am really sorry."

"It's fine, but next time I'd rather you tell me that you don't feel well."

"I will."

The pale blonde soon spotted a cave to spend the night in and sprinted towards it, ready to snuggle into her sleeping bag and sleep.

Just as Roxas entered the cave he was suddenly attacked by Naminé, who practically threw herself onto the blond, hugging him for the second time in a day.

"WE FOUND IT!" she squealed, pointing towards the very back of the cave where a large misplaced door was embedded into the rocky wall.

"I know you're very excited, but I think it'd be best if we go tomorrow," Roxas suggested.

"Mm, but I really wanna go now..."

"We'll have more energy if we go in the morning."

"Ah, fine, but we go first thing tomorrow," she avidly demanded, unzipping the backpack and pulling out the sleep sack, laying it down directly in front of the door, wanting it to be the last thing she saw before she slept.

Making herself as comfy as possible, she let out a satisfied sigh and settled her eyes upon the tall door.

"Night!" she called over to Roxas, the enthusiasm in her voice resembling that of a child's.

"Good night," he replied, shrugging off the knapsack and zipping it back up, settling down in his usual post next to her.

"We're almost there..." she murmured to herself, smiling as she closed her eyes, the thought of their new home being just a few worlds away filling her with an almost foreign sense of belonging before the sleepiness eventually outweighed the joy she felt coursing through her veins.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **And s** **o we get a glimpse of the hot-headed Roxas we all know and love. Damn, these chapters are getting a lot longer than I expect them to be, but hey, more is better, right? Right.**

 **Oh, and another little thing to celebrate besides character growth. We just hit 10 chapters, the big 1-O! Whether or not that's something to celebrate is all up to you, but the way I see it, it's the little things in life that counts.**

 **I think that about covers about everything I wanted to go over for this chapter. I know there's a multitude of other things I could talk about: what happens with Aqua? Is Ven still out there? What lies beyond the door? But that'll all come in good time, especially that last question.**

 **So, as expected with your Author's Notes, feel free to review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. A lot of bottled up feelings associated with this one, especially towards the end, so for those who just eat up drama-myself included-hopefully you've had you're fill.**

 **Until the next update. :)**

 **EDIT (9/16/2016): Just fixed up a minor detail that I realized didn't make sense. I also worded a sentence just a teensy bit different and substituted a word.**


	11. Are You Afraid of the Dark?

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

Naminé's fingers twitched as she drifted back into consciousness, something buzzing in the back of her head like a forgotten memory fighting to be remembered once more before it dissolved in the innermost recesses of the human mind. She yawned as she rolled over on her back, rubbing her eyes in the process. She was reminded what that nagging feeling was about when she looked up at the momentus door in front of her, the warm rays of dawn casting a celestial glow on it; screaming its importance.

"Good morning," she heard her spiky-haired companion say. She sat up and turned to him.

"Morning," she smiled.

"Do you feel better any better than you did yesterday?"

"Yup. The headache's gone, it's just my feet hurt from walking a lot."

"Well, the gap between this world and the next should be moderately short."

"Where do we go to next?"

"Destiny Islands."

"Sounds nice," she said, wiggling out of her sleeping bag and stuffing it into the backpack. She saw the pairs of underwear she bought a few days ago and debated whether she should put one on now or wait.

'It's been a couple days, might as well do it now.'

"Hey, do you mind looking somewhere else while I change?"

"Not at all," he answered, turning around and facing the entrance.

As she got dressed he went back to the question that's been on his mind since last night. He shouldn't have been able to experience that outburst of anger yesterday-much less express it. What beneficial purpose would it serve in protecting her?

He knew it could be used as a motivating force, so that was one advantage already. He also knew that it could help strengthen relationships, which was what he demonstrated yesterday by showing that he was frustrated at her so she could notice her mistake and hopefully avoid that from happening in the future. Additionally, anger could provide insight into oneself, which was what he was also doing right now. In the end, getting angry led to a positive outcome, which he would gladly take any day.

"Done," she announced. He turned on his heel and faced the blonde as she slinged the backpack over her shoulders.

"I can carry it if you want."

"It's fine, I got it," she said. "Let's just get goin'."

They approached the tall arched door and forced it open, its old age making it quite difficult to do so. They peered inside and saw...

Nothing. An empty void as far as they eye could see-the only glimpse of light coming from the morning sun behind them.

"What the hell...?"

"It's a labyrinth," Roxas revealed as he was able to examine the newfound maze with his built-in night vision. "I see multiple passages, but I can't see where they lead." He turned to Naminé. "This is the only way I know of to travel to the next world. Do you still want to go?"

She warily glanced back at the distinct darkness that stared right back at her, making her feel an overwhelming sense of impending doom.

'No, you are **not** about to chicken out now. We're already here. No point in turning back now.'

"We've come this far, we might as well keep going," she reasoned. "Besides, you have a good memory, right? You can just draw a mental map as we go through the place."

"That's one way to do it."

"What's the other way?"

"If you keep along the right wall, then you're bound to find the exit."

"Really? Nice."

"But for the sake of saving time, we'll stick to the original plan."

"All right..." She apprehensively faced the unnaturally dark maze and internally shuddered at the thought of something lurking under the cover of darkness. She did her best to push that fear back into the farthest corners of her mind and mustered up all the courage she had to take one step inside the godforsaken jungle.

The air felt chilly and stale like they'd just reached the end of time and all that was left were the memories they had of what used to be. The oppressive walls that would slowly but surely begin to shrink as time wore on were just wide enough-for the time being-so the pair could comfortably walk wide by side, which was exactly what they planned to do.

"So where do we go next?" she timidly asked, her confidence wilting away like a flower in the dry, detrimental desert as they withdrew from the light.

"I'm not sure."

"Oh, right..."

"I see a passage coming up on our right, but we can also keep walking straight."

"Let's go right," she answered, dragging her hand along the wall as she used it to both guide herself in the pitch-black labyrinth and to help remind her that they weren't hopelessly wandering around in some endless abyss where escape was pointless and death was waiting just around the corner casually leaning against a wall, twiddling his thumbs in boredom until they crossed his path.

Maybe death would come in a different form: an unearthly monstrosity that had the head of a bull and the body of a man? A person so severly malformed beyond recognition that the image would burn itself into her brain for the last precious seconds she had left before it killed her off? Or maybe something so grotesque, so utterly terrifying that she couldn't even begin to fathom anything near its magnitude of uncanniness?

All of the perturbing thoughts in her head intensified the harrowing atmosphere tenfold, prompting Naminé to desperately come up with a way of coping with the foreboding feeling that was beginning to creep into her heart.

"Hey, you mind if I hold your hand for a bit?" she asked, her panicky voice ringing throughout the corridors.

"Not at all," she heard his disembodied voice reply.

She already knew where his shoulder was, so she slid her hand down his right arm until she felt his gloved hand and clutched it. She felt Roxas gently squeeze her hand in reassurance, mollifying the nervous blonde.

After several dead locks and a couple lefts and rights Naminé felt her guide abruptly stop.

"What is it? Did we hit another dead end?"

"No, I thought I heard something."

Her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. All of a sudden all of her previous ideas of disturbing, nightmarish beings roaming about the pitch-dark labyrinth flooded into her head and began to run wild like the corybantic entities they were. Her heartbeat instantaneously sped up and she suddenly began to see figures creeping about in the darkness; morbid creatures all closing in on them, ready to tear them apart piece by agonizing piece until they painted the entire maze a sickening scarl-

"Oh, it was just a fly."

As if on cue the insect emmited an innocent buzz.

"Are you okay? Your face is a little red."

"Yup, perfectly fine. Let's keep going."

"Were you frightened?"

"Of course not. Who gets scared of a fly?"

"That's a rhetorical question."

"I know, stop patronizing me."

* * *

After what seemed like miles of walking around, Naminé's overactive imagination payed her another surprise visit. Instead of just observing her this time around, they turned things up a notch by lightly grazing her body and breathing heavily down her neck, giving the poor lass goosebumps and sending chills up and down her spine.

Her jumpy behavior did not go unnoticed by the attentive blond. As a way to alleviate her paranoia he asked her questions every now and then to distract her from the pseudo-monsters patrolling the maze. For a brief period of time the method worked as her tone of voice gradually became more relaxed and her grip on his hand slightly loosened. For a few moments she even began to swing their hands back and forth in a relatively cheerful manner.

Right as she was in the middle of answering one of his questions a putrid odor entered Naminé's nasal passages, making her feel nauseous and queasy.

"Eugh, what is that smell?!" she exclaimed in disgust, clamping her hands over her nose to try to block out the foul scent. It was worse than anything she's ever smelled before. Just a whiff of the rancid stench made her throw up a little in her mouth.

Meanwhile Roxas stared fixedly at the decaying body of a human sitting with their legs stretched out before them; a horde of insects crawling in and out of every orifice of their body. Hundreds upon hundreds of flies surrounded the rotting corpse, a pool of squirming larvae embedded into their left leg. A lengthy centipede wriggled out of their open mouth and entered their left eye socket, its seemingly endless body connecting the holes for a few moments before the rest of it finally escaped out of their jaws. He noticed an army of ants marching up to the all-you-can-eat buffet, a full-scale insect war beginning to take place in the once peaceful community of bugs.

As the creepy-crawlies carried on methodically eating away at each other and the body, a blood-curdling cacaphony of hair-raising sounds bounced off the imprisoning walls; each and every single one drastically differentl from the rest.

"...What's that sound...?" Naminé apprehensively asked, the unsettling noises echoing throughout the cave horrifying the anxious girl.

'God, what **is** that?! As if the smell wasn-Wait. Hold on... The smell... That sound... The fly from earlier... Oh, God, don't tell me it's a-'

"Naminé, I'd like you to stay here for a few seconds while I investigate something," Roxas requested, his voice disturbingly calm despite what he could clearly see in front of him.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked, grabbing hold of his hand once more in fear of what he was planning to do with the eroding carcass.

Feeling certain at this point that she'd already pieced together the situation they were in he assured her that he was just going to check and see if they had anything useful on them and that was all he was going to do. Unfortunately, she wasn't aware that the body was human.

"It's a person?! You never said they were a person!"

"Regardless, I want to see if there's anything we could use."

"This... This doesn't feel right. We should just leave them be."

"Whatever they may have on them isn't going to help them now. We should make the most out of the situation and take what we need."

He saw that she was still wary of the idea so he persuaded her by promising that he'd be quick.

"...Fine," she gave in, letting his hand slip from hers, "but it better be fast."

"That's what I promised."

She listened to the sound of his footsteps gradually faded away into the infinite oblivion she was standing in now. The sea of bugs continued to endlessly chatter amongst themselves, all the buzzing beginning to sound like deafening static in her ears.

She thought about the person a few feet ahead of her; how lonely and scared they must've felt trapped inside the-

'Whoever said they were alone?'

The disheartening thought made her blood run cold. What if there were more bodies scattered throughout this damned labyrinth? What if someone was still alive in here? What if it wasn't just people in here, but hungry animals as well? What if-

'ENOUGH. You're letting your fear get the better of you. Just calm down and breathe in and out, nice and easy.'

She did as her conscious told her and regulated her breathing until her frantic heart progressively slowed down to a moderate walk. She eventually blocked out the ear-piercing murmurs and focused on nothing but the sound of herself inhaling and exhaling.

Shortly afterwards she heard Roxas return, each step he took towards her filling her heart with relief.

"I found a flashlight and some spare batteries," he informed, placing the flashlight in her right hand and curling her fingers around it. "Now we can keep going."

"How do you think they died?" she unexpectedly asked as they walked away, a small amount of remorse leaking into her words.

"Exhaustion from starvation and dehydration," he responded with the certainty of a certified pathologist.

"Do you think they came here alone?"

"I'm not sure, but I haven't seen any others, so I'll go with 'yes' for the time being."

"I hope you're right..." she murmured. She truly believed that was one of the saddest-if not one of the scariest-ways to go. All alone in the dark with nothing but fear to keep you company. Hell, even with Roxas here with her she was still scared half to death! She honestly wouldn't know what to do if they were ever separated. Thinking about it now it almost actually frightened her to think about how much she relied on him; how attached they've become to each other.

Was this supposed to happen? Was it... Was it normal to be this close? Maybe... Maybe they were **too** close...

'You're overthinking it, worrywart. Jeez, can't you just be happy and stay happy for even a few seconds? Things could be a lot worse, you know. What does it matter if you both are 'too close'? It's a lot better than being alone, right?'

'Yeah... yeah, you're right. At least I'm not alone. If we stick together then we should be just fine.'

As they continued navigating the slew of long, winding corridors, Naminé's uneasiness soon melted away into the shadows enclosing them; the pair content with walking hand in glove in calm, soothing silence.

"Tired?" Roxas asked as he noticed the girl's speed beginning to gradually slow down.

"Just a little bit," she admitted, making her strides longer to keep up with him, "but I can keep going."

"Are you positive?"

"Yup."

"If you say do.

"Hey... You see that light too, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh, thank God, I thought my mind was just playing cruel tricks on my eyes."

"Rest assured, the light is definitely there," he smiled, switching back to his standard vision.

"Yup," she beamed, her eyes concentrated on the thin sliver of heavenly light that was faintly shining beneath what she could only guess to be a door.

Revitaling relief flooding her heart, she made a beeline for the exit, more than happy to leave the cursed realm of eternal darkness.

Without a moment's hesitation, they eagerly pushed open the door, ready to face whatever obstacles this world had in store for them.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **All right, so truthfully, I'm not too happy with this** **chapter. I've never written any creepypastas or nosleeps or anything like that, so the whole fear part isn't as intense and suspenseful as I'd like it to be. It's sort of hard for me personally to put fear into words when I'm not feeling it while I'm writing. Usually what I do when I'm writing a somewhat emotional part is put myself in the character's shoes and try to imagine how they'd react to the situation** **they're in so I can put as much emotion as I can into the piece, but I just couldn't really feel her fear. I probably should've listened/read some horror stories beforehand so I could've gotten the feel for it, but I guess it's too late now. It just kinda bums me out 'cause I know I could've done better.**

 **Anyways, sorry to bring down the mood. I hope you still enjoyed reading nonetheless, and feel free to leave a review if you want. Hope y'all have a great day/night.**


	12. Trapped in Paradise - Part One

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

* * *

Shafts of soft sunlight trickled in through tiny fractures embedded in the cave's ceiling, shedding just enough light to reveal the knotted roots of outside flora and crudely drawn illustrations scattered about the walls of the humid grotto. The picture closest to them near the earthy ground looked like two children smiling at each other, handing the other a star. The drawing on the left seemed to be a boy with spiky hair that gave Roxas a run for his money, and the child on the right, although it was a bit difficult to make out, was of a girl with shoulder-length hair.

Judging by the rough, faded image, Naminé guessed that the sketches were drawn by the kids depicted on the wall.

'Ha, that's cute. Wonder if they ever got together...'

Out of nowhere a blue-and-white ball came bouncing from the outside of the cavern, presumably from an unseen entrance somewhere up ahead.

"I got it!" they heard a girl yell, her voice suggesting that she was about the same age as Naminé.

An auburn-haired teen dressed in a sleeveless watermelon pink hoodie (with the hood itself being black), skin-tight acid-wash shorts, and purple sandals jogged inside the cave, bending down to retrieve the runaway ball until she suddenly noticed the two strangers silently standing in front of her.

"Jesus Christ!" she jumped. "Oh, my bad, I didn't know anyone was in here," she quickly explained, standing upright with the ball tucked under her right arm. "Uh, actually, 'scuse me if I sound rude, but who **are** you guys?"

"Um, I'm Naminé and this is Roxas. We just came out of the door and w-"

"YOU CAME FROM BEHIND THE DOOR?!"

This time it was Naminé's who jumped.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to yell, it's just - that door's been there for ages and no one's ever been able to open it! We don't even know who put it there o-or where it leads or anything! I mean, Jesus, nothing'severworkedandallofasuddenyoutwowaltzoutofitlikeit'sjustanotherdoor! Oh, you'vegottatellmewhat's - no, wait, they'vegottohearthis, too!" she ferverishly gushed, frantically motioning them to follow her.

'...What? She was talking so fast I didn't understand the last things she said...' the blonde thought.

"Hey, guys, you'll never believe what I just happened!" the redhead enthusiastically exclaimed, drawing the attention of the rest of the teens on the beach.

"Nice try, Kai, we're not gonna fall for that again," a girl with a beige wide-brimmed sun hat, fern green eyes, and light-brown hair (curled outwards at both sides of her head along with a large curl at the back) said with disdain.

"Yeah, just throw the ball already so we can keep playing," urged a boy with sandy-blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and a small, short-sleeved yellow shirt with white sleeves.

"I'm not kidding this time, I swear!" She impatiently looked back into the entry to check up on the two. "C'mon out, there's no need to be shy!"

The third teen, who looked to be the oldest of the group, had orange hair that ended at a tall curl in the front, chocolate brown eyes, and a pale yellow tank top. He made his way over to the ferruginous-haired girl, cocking his head slightly to the right as he peered inside the leafy entrance of the hidden cave.

His eyebrows nearly shot up to his hairline when he saw the blondies make their way out of the Secret Place. "Whoa, she's not jokin'!" he said with surprise, stepping out of the way to let them through.

"See! I told you!" the redhead boasted.

The other two near the shoreline looked at each other in disbelief before zipping over to the strangers.

"Before we ask any questions, I wanna get Sora and Riku over here," the russet-haired girl instructed, "one of you call them over."

"I got it, sista," the copper-hairer boy said, his broad accent giving him a laid-back persona. He cupped his hands around his mouth and drew in a long, sharp breath. "SORA, RIKU, GET YA BUTTS OUTTA DA WATA BEFORE I DO IT FOR YA!" he roared, practically shaking the whole island as he did.

While all this was going on Roxas and Naminé continued to remain silent as they all waited for the other islanders to join the rest of the group. To her they were a rather...vigorous bunch, but then again she shouldn't be so quick to judge, and as Kai said before this was a big deal to them, so it was only natural for them to be this fascinated. At least they were friendly. Maybe they could even help them get su-

Her train of thought suddenly screeched to a halt as she laid her eyes upon the boys that were rising out of the limpid, aquamarine ocean.

A spiky-haired brunet - who she assumed to be same boy as the one in the cave - with tan, sun-kissed skin and a fine, lean body made her heart melt under the heat of his ravishing soul case. If she looked hard enough she could even make out his V-line, his ruby red shorts swim shorts with a black rim just barely clinging on to his young, enticing hips.

The taller silver-haired boy on his left, however, had an athletic physique that heated up Naminé's face to a scorching one thousand degrees. He wasn't tan like his attractive friend, but his muscular arms and almost fully-developed six-pack more than made up for that in the flustering blonde's opinion.

She resisted the urge to twirl the tendrils of hair on her right shoulder; her heart pounding uncomfortably fast against her chest as they approached.

She hated to stare as she knew it was quite rude and a little creepy, but her prurient eyes remained adamantly glued to the shirtless wet dreamboats; mini streams tantalizingly trailing down their seductive bodies.

As they drew closer she was able to glimpse at their oh-so enchanting, mesmerizing, captivating eyes. The sturdy young man had calm, cool pools of turquoise that held a certain intensity to them as if they could see right through her. The younger boy, on the other hand, had warm, vibrant hues of an inky sky; striking similar to the blond next to her.

Eventually the two caught sight of the newcomers, shock flashing across their faces in varying degrees. The brunet quickly bounced back as a somewhat goofy grin made its way on his lips before he sprinted towards them as fast as he could, his gray-haired companion continuing at his own leisurely pace.

"All right, now that everyone's **finally** here," the redhead began, throwing a pointed look at the drenched silver-haired boy, "I wanted to introduce you to Naminé and Roxas," she presented.

"Um... Hi..." Naminé nervously greeted, feeling a little intimidated by the overwhelming amount of people crowding around them.

"Jeez, Kai, why you gotta put 'em on the spot like that?" the hoary-haired teen remarked.

"Yeah, I think we should go in the shack and just introduce ourselves to them instead," chimed the brunet.

"Yeah, we should probably do that," she concured, the octad advancing towards the wooden shelter as they sought relief from the harsh glare of the sun.

Inside, delicate beams of light snaked their way in through thin slits of space inbetween the walls and ceiling, barely illuminating the room, providing shade from the everbright light. Naminé noticed two pale cream-colored couchs situated along the left and right walls facing each other and a doorway directly across from the group leading to stairs that winded to the right as it ascended.

The blondies sat on the left couch as the rest either stood around it at a respective distance or sat on the floor.

"So who goes first?" the brunette asked, sitting cross-legged on the sandy floor.

"I wanna!" exclaimed the brown-haired boy seated next to her.

"Sure, go ahead."

He smiled as he turned to the two; Naminé trying with every fiber of her being not to freak out.

"I'm Sora!"

"C'mon, you gotta do more than that!" insisted the sandy-blond.

"Okay, um... My favorite food is bacon-and-egg pizza, and... Oh - and I like watching horror movies!"

"Next," called the light-brown-haired girl.

"I'll go," said the redhead sitting on her right. "My name's Kairi, but I usually just go by Kai. I like to surf even though I'm no good at it, and oddly enough, I find bugs fascinating."

"It's revolting," added the brunette.

Kairi smirked. "Says the one who made o-"

"NEXT," the green-eyed girl blurted, her friend quietly chuckling.

"I'll go," replied the youngest boy. "I'm Tidus, and my favorite sport is blitzball. It's my passion and-"

"Next."

"Hey, I wasn't done yet!"

"All you were gonna do is go on and on about how great the sport is and how you were the captain of the team at school, am I wrong?"

"No I wasn't!"

"Oh, really?"

"Okay, okay, I'll go just to shut da two of you up!" the carrot-haired teen suddenly exclaimed. "I'm Wakka, and I also like to play blitzball, and my favorite food's gotta be _lau lau_. It's basically pork and fish wrapped in leaves, but you gotta try it to know how good it is."

"'Kay, I'll go this time. Hi, my name's Selphie. I'm fourteen, and I like long romantic walks on the beach and kissing under the st-"

"This isn't _The Bachelorette_ , Selphie, be serious," Kairi chastised.

"But I **do** like those things."

"Jeez, you're such a romantic," the redhead murmured. "You," she said, pointing to the silver-haired boy, "introduce yourself."

"You got it, sir," he teased, the girl childishly sticking out her tongue. "I'm Riku, and I like sports and napping."

"Boo, say something else," the brown-haired boy jeered.

"Uh, like what?"

"Like... I dunno, your favorite...animal or something."

"Wolf."

"Eh, I didn't feel like it's your favorite animal. Say it again, but better this time."

"All right, I'mma cut you two off right there," the dark cherry-haired teen stated, turning to the guests. "So, yeah, that about sums us up. Sorry if it's a little uncomfortable for you, it's just we don't get visitors that often, so we tend to get a little carried away."

"It's all right, I understand," Naminé replied, her heart slowly beginning to beat at a safe pace.

"So what was on the other side?"

"The other side of what?" the mahogany-haired boy asked.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Kairi recalled. "They came from the other side of the door."

"Whoa, really?!"

"Mm-hmm," she confirmed, turning to the blonde, "So what was it like?"

"Um, it was like a labyrinth, but you can't see anything; there's no light at all. Just...darkness."

Quiet murmurs of slight confusion and awe rang about the clan.

"How'd you two get out of there?" Tidus asked.

"Luck, mostly," she answered.

"So why'd you do it?" Riku queried.

"It's the only way we know of to get to where we're going," she responded somehow without stuttering.

"And where are you two heading if you don't mind me asking?" Sora questioned.

"Not at all, and we're trying to get to Radiant Garden, but right now we're sorta running low on food and stuff. I don't mean to be too forward, but I'd really appreciate if you could tell us where the nearest food store is."

"Yeah, of course!" Kairi said. "We have an outdoor mall back on the main island. I can take you two there right now if you want," she offered.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why not? Not like I'm doin' anythin' important, anyways."

"What about the volleyball game?" Selphie asked.

"Well, it's not like we were gonna win..."

"Mm, good point."

"All right, let's get going," she announced, standing up and wiping the sand off her hindquarters.

"Thank you so much," Naminé said before facing the rest of the gang. "And it was very nice to meet all of you," she smiled.

Some echoed the compliment while others abashedly waved off the flattering remark.

"Nice to meetcha, too," Kairi responded, opening the door and leading the duo to a small dock where her boat gently swayed in the waves. She untied the mooring line and climbed into the rocky vessel, carelessly tossing the rope onto the bottom boards. Next she helped them in and picked up the wooden oars as she began to paddle. "So which world are the two of you from? I really wanna know what it's like there."

"We're both from Twilight Town," she answered.

"Oh! I saw what happened on the news a couple weeks ago. Jeez, I'm really sorry for bringing it up..."

"You don't have to apologize, it was just a coincidence."

"...But I'm still kinda curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to - I completely understand why you wouldn't - but what was it like before?"

"Well... It was a sleepy town for the most part. To me it was like that place that made you feel right at home, and the people were friendly and welcoming, and the sunsets were just so beautiful, especially if you saw it from way up high. But nighttime was another story. People would get robbed a lot - sometimes even worse. Because of all the crimes that were happening, the mayor decided to have a wall built around the whole city to prevent anyone from going in or out."

"The hell's a wall gonna do?" Kairi remarked.

"Exactly! It was stupid!" Naminé agreed.

"So what was the town like exactly? Like gimme places."

"Um, there was the Sandlot which is where we had our end of summer tournament called the Struggle. Basically two people wear this outfit that has blue or red balls attached to it - one color for each player - and then hit each other with these blue foam bats until the person with the most balls at the end of the round wins, or you steal all of your opponent's balls. The person who wins that match advances to the next round until they either lose or win the entire tournament. I think the grand prize is this trophy with four glass balls and a champion belt; maybe some cash, too, but I'm not one hundred percent sure."

"So I got another question: you two a couple or...?"

"Just friends," she answered rather quickly.

"Ah, okay. Say, you don't talk much, do ya?" the redhead remarked, turning to Roxas, "I don't mean it in a bad way, I just couldn't help but notice."

"I don't usually talk much, no," he confirmed.

"Yeah, unfortunately he's usually forced to listen to me blabber all the time," she smiled.

"Must be torture," Kairi smiled back.

"So what's it like here? Anything we should know about before we explore?" Naminé asked.

"Nah, not really. Nothing super special happens around here, so we usually waste school break away on the play island. It gets boring sometimes, but it's not like we have anywhere else to go..."

"Whaddya mean?" she asked, noticing the faintly gloomy tone in her voice.

Kairi's face flickered with hesitation before she began to inform them. "I hate to break it to you guys, but this world is pretty much isolated from other worlds..."

"What? How?" she asked, panic seeping into her words.

The auburn-haired girl shrugged. "That's just how the world is."

"So you're saying we're basically stuck here?"

"...Well, I never said it was **completely** cut off. There's gotta be some way, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"You're from another world?" Naminé asked in astonishment.

"Yup," Kairi nodded, "but I don't remember exactly which one. I was too young to remember. From what my parents told me they found me washed up on shore after a really bad storm hit. I was too young to talk, so they brought me to the hospital, and I was fine for the most part, but no one reported anything about a missing toddler at the time, so the hospital decided to send me to the orphanage. I would've gone there if my mom and dad weren't looking for a kid themselves. So then before I was released from the hospital, my parents filled out all the legal paperwork they had to do, took me home, and here I am now."

"Whoa, I would've never guessed..."

"So now that you know that, it's not totally impossible, but you're gonna have a really hard time finding the way out."

"Well, you said it yourself that there's still a chance, right? As long as the possibility isn't zero, then there's still hope."

Behind the redhead Naminé noticed a costal village rising into view. She could see dozens of littoral houses, some with tendrils of whispy smoke escaping through the chimney, and even more homes towards the back. She spotted little children playing along along the shore as their parents kept watch on them from afar, many splashing each other and shrieking with delight while others peacefully collected sea shells in brightly-colored pails; the tide always providing more every time it visited the shore.

Kairi swiftly maneuvered the boat towards a small dock and securely fastened it to the port.

"Whew, rowing always makes my arms sore," she grumbled, rolling her shoulders, "but we're finally here. The mall's about a half-hour walk from here, but there's AC over there, so we should get goin'."

She helped them out of the wobbily craft and double-checked the knot to make sure it wouldn't give.

"All right, let's go," she said, the trio walking off the wooden harbor onto searing beige sand.

"Does anyone else know about your history?" Naminé asked.

"Yeah, naturally I told my friends about it, but Sora and Riku are the only ones that pester me about it. They're always asking me if I remembered anything from where I came from, but so far no luck. I don't blame them, really. They want to go off and see other worlds, and I do, too. Actually, last year we - well, mostly Riku - built a raft because we thought that we could do it on our own. We were so ready to leave. So eager to visit the hundreds of worlds that awaited us; to finally make our dream a reality. Just the three of us... But, of course, our parents eventually found out and gave us a whole lecture about how we were too young and how it was too dangerous for us. We would've still gone anyway if they hadn't destroyed our raft. We were so close to being finished, too..."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, but they only did it 'cause they were concerned about your safety."

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I get that, but we just really wanted off the island - er, islands. This world is just too small, y'know?"

"Well, at least you actually went built the raft. That's gotta count for something, right? I mean, most people our age would just complain about it and then not do anything to change the situation."

The redhead snickered. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Probably why we have such a bad rep. We're just too lazy to actually do the stuff we say we're gonna do."

"Yeah, that's basically the long and short of it."

"So how come you two wanna go to Radiant Garden specifically?" the rust-haired girl asked, turning to the blonde.

"I have an uncle there who we could live with for a while, at least until we can afford a place of our own."

"Ah, okay."

Naminé curiously surveyed her residential surroundings, taking in as much as she possibly could: the salty-thick air that wafted from the sea, the nearly scalding rays of brutal sunlight that baked the world below it to the point where you could cook eggs on the sidewalk, the faint hum of outdoor air-conditioning units that were internally overloading as everyone had their AC cranked up to the max.

She's never truly stopped and enjoyed - **really** enjoyed the environments and atmosphere of the worlds they've gone through. Getting to Radiant Garden was their main priority of course, but why not relax and have some fun while they were at it? After all, what's life without a little thrill every now and then?

Soon the houses began depleting in numbers as they traversed farther and farther away from the hamlet until they found themselves in the hot, humid foliage of a tropical rainforest. As they marched along the beaten peach-colored path, the residents of the jungle carried on their business as usual.

Suddenly a giant anteater emerged from the dense shrubbery on either side of the footwalk, trudging its way across the trail directly in front of them as it constantly sniffed the ground with its long snout. The length of its humongous body blocked the entire dirt road all the way from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail; Roxas estimating the animal to be approximately six feet long.

It stopped sniffing and reared its head towards the trio as it was suddenly aware of their presence. Unamused, it lazily turned its head away and moseyed along.

"Jeez, that was huge!" Naminé gawked, fascinated by the large mammal.

"Yeah, we got a lot of 'em here. They're pretty chill if you don't corner them or anything," Kairi explained.

"What other animals are here?"

"A lot. From what I've seen we got a couple sloths, a few pythons, some poison dart frogs, some toucans here and there, and I've even seen some freshwater moon jellies in a pool somewhere here," she informed.

"Moon jellies?"

"Yeah, weird, right?"

"Do you think you can take us there?" the eager blonde asked, passion gleaming in her eyes.

"I mean, if you really want to. Is that fine with you?" the redhead asked, turning to the spiky-haired blond.

"Sure."

"All right, let's get goin' then," she smiled, leading them off-trail into the unmarked terrain.

* * *

"If I remember correctly, we should be there any second now..." the russet-haired guide announced, uncontainable excitement surging through Naminé's veins.

The auburn-haired teen pushed a large thick leaf aside and spotted the shallow pocket of water not too far from them.

"There it is! And about time, too. For a second there I was kinda worried that I mighta taken a wrong turn somewhere..."

The ecstatic blonde whirled past the redheaded islander, itching to catch a glimpse of the majestic jellyfish.

When she reached the edge of the pool she got down on her hands and knees and expectantly peered into the still, clear water. Roxas and Kairi soon joined her.

They stared at the small body of water, anxiously awaiting the sight of the squishy yet lethal creature.

As the tension-filled minutes slowly passed away so did the group's - mainly Naminé's - hope of ever seeing the marvelous jellies. Just as they were about to give up and call it quits a miniscule moon jelly drifted from one side of the pool to the other, propelling its tiny ghost-like body centimeter by centimeter.

A much larger jelly soon made itself visible to the observers, another one popping into view a few moments later. Suddenly the water was rife with floating jellyfish like stars against the night sky, forming a dangerous underwater jungle of deadly tentacles.

Naminé stared at the spectacle in awe, desperately wanting to touch each and every single one of them. She knew to avoid the stingy hairs of tentacles that rimmed the bell of jellyfish, so she carefully dipped her pointer and middle finger in the warm water and lightly stroked the top of the jelly when it just so happened to be near the surface.

'Well, they definitely live up to their name all right... So squishy...'

Eventually the dozens of jellies dispersed and once again the water was devoid of any odor of animal life whatsoever.

"Weird, I've never seen so many of them before, but that was pretty cool," Kairi remarked. "So you ready to head back?"

Naminé nodded. "Yup."

Kairi smiled. "Great... Okay, so try not to panic too much, but I may have sorta forgotten how to get back to the trail..."

"I remember," Roxas revealed, earning a sigh of relief from both girls.

"Then by all means, lead the way," the redhead insisted, gesturing him to go ahead. As they began to move Kairi felt the urge to fill in the silence with a bit of storytelling. "Hey, so I forgot to tell you guys earlier when I was telling my story, but we sorta have this urban legend that a long, and I mean a **long** time ago, some guy actually managed to get off the islands."

"Really?" Naminé asked.

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I mean, it's only a legend, but it's still a pretty interesting story to listen to since we're gonna be walking for a while."

"All right, I'll bite. How does it start?"

"It starts off with a young boy named Xehanort who had a dream. A dream to sail far, far away to adventure out into the unknown...

* * *

 _ **A/N:** _**Welcome to Destiny Islands, folks! Get comfy 'cause we're gonna be here for a while. So lately we've had a lot of emotional drama going on between our favorite blondies, and I suppose you could say this chapter kinda takes a break from that. I'm no Hannibal Buress or whatever comedian you know, but hopefully you can see that I at least tried with some of the humor here. Unfortunately the only humor I know is middle-school humor, so be prepared for all that immature shit.**

 **On the other hand: holy fuck, almost 30 reviews?! Thank you all so much! Listen, I know I'm no Kiome-Yasha (my personal favorite RokuNami author), but thank you for continuing to read anyways! It means so much to me to know that people actually take time out their day to read this story, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you!**

 **On another note, school has once again reared its ugly, stress-inducing head, and being a student and all I gotta work really hard to eventually reach that better and brighter future. So with that being said, I'll try my very hardest to get all the chapters out on time, but if I slip up, please try to be patient as I'll be working as best and quick as I can to get it uploaded ASAP.**

 **Lastly, I just want to say that I don't mean to stereotype Wakka when I write his dialect. I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible to the game while also trying to avoid the ignorant interpretation of a Jamaican accent. I haven't studied Jamaican dialect at all, so if some of the things he says are heavily exaggerated, please forgive me.**

 **Okay, last thing, I swear. As I'm always happy to say, thank you so very much for reading, and feel free to review if you want! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and it'd mean a lot to me if you continued sticking around for the rest of the story! Once again, thank you and I hope to see you in the next one!**


	13. Trapped in Paradise - Part Two

Kairi and Naminé roared uncontrollably, their sides beginning to hurt as they tried to stifle their hysterical laughter.

"An-And then, he...he jusT FUCKING-!" The russet-haired teen couldn't continue as she cracked up for the eightieth consecutive time in a row, causing the blonde to erupt with wild laughter that burst out of her throat like water out of a geyser.

"Just say it!" the pale girl barely choked out, the intoxicating silliness she felt making her feel like a bubbly four-year-old.

"I'm trying!" Kairi wheezed, heaving as she tried to retain enough oxygen in her body to keep her from collapsing on the ground howling.

Finally gaining the control she needed to utter a coherent sentence or two, she resumed telling her story:

"All right, where was I?"

"Sora pulled down Riku's pants."

"Oh, right! Okay, okay, so the best part - the funniest part about it was Sora accidentally pulled down more than just that..."

Naminé gasped. "Oh, no, you don't mean..." The look on Kairi's face nearly made her lose her composure all over again..

"HE WAS FULL DONALD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING MALL WITH HIS COCK WHIPPED OUT FOR EVERYONE TO SEE!" Kairi shrieked, scaring off every animal within a ten mile radius. A moment of silence passed before the girls completely lost it, falling into another fit crazed, almost deranged laughter.

The blonde's infamous witch-like cackle became audible for a few precious seconds before she was suddenly aware of the sound that was coming out of her, her hands immediately flying up to her mouth in embarrassment. Kairi only laughed even harder, tears beginning to obscure her vision.

"Oh, Jesus!" the islander exclaimed in between coughs brought on by the amount of laughing she had just experienced. "Is that your actual laugh? I love it! It's a lot better than mine, let me tell ya. I sound like a goddamn - oh, we're here already," she realized, directing her gaze towards the plaza consisting of innumerable stores of all sorts.

She pointed to a coffee shop in the center of the food court. "That's where all the magic happened. To this very day, Riku still hasn't set foot in this mall, and he probably never will for as long as he remembers what transpired here. God, I still remember it like it was yesterday. That was one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed with my own eyeballs. I'mma have to tell you how Riku got back at him."

"How?" Naminé asked, eager to hear another one of the many stories Kairi had of her and her friends.

"I'll tell ya when you two are done shopping. If you want, we could grab something to eat afterwards, my treat."

The pale girl was a bit apprehensive towards the generous offer. "You sure? I mean, you've already done a lot for us, and I'd hate to impose..."

"Ah, don't worry about it! I'm kinda hungry anyways, so it's whatever. I was also gonna come here later, so it's sorta works itself out. So how about it?"

"Mm... Sure. Thanks again, really."

"My pleasure. So then we'll meet up at the food court?" she asked, waiting for the girl's input.

"Sounds good," Naminé smiled.

"All right, I'll see ya guys in a bit," she responded, making a peace sign with her right hand before she disappeared into a Forever 21.

"Okay, so I know that we can fill our bottles with the water fountains, but now we gotta find a grocery store. Should we just get what we had before? Like all the soup and stuff?" she asked Roxas who, unbeknownst to her, had been silent the entire time.

"Yes, but I suggest we buy other kinds of non-perishable foods."

"Got it. So..." she trailed off, spinning in place as she took in the colossal three-story mall, "where the hell is it...?"

* * *

"Hey, about time! I was beginning to - whoa, are you okay?" Kairi asked Naminé once she spotted them from her seat at the food court, the girl in question looking like she was seconds away from passing out.

"She's a little tired from walking around and standing in line for so long," Roxas answered, sliding into the metal chair next to Naminé as she slumped into hers, burrowing her head in her arms which acted as a makeshift pillow.

"Yeah, I can see that..." the redhead sighed, glancing at the girl before looking back at him. "Well, at least she made it here. So whaddya wanna eat?"

"I'm actually not really hungry..." he admitted.

"Really? You sure?"

Roxas nodded.

"All right, if you say so." Kairi said, turning to the worn-out teen. "You want anything, Naminé?"

Her headed popped right up from under her arms. "Do you have any cheeseburgers?"

Kairi nodded. "Yup. Is that all you want?"

She eagerly nodded in reply.

"'Kay, be back in a few," she promised, making her way to the nearest fast-food restaurant.

"You got along with her rather quickly," Roxas unexpectedly remarked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so. Why, something wrong with that?"

The spiky-haired blond shook his head. "No, it's just interesting."

"Interesting how?" Naminé asked, sitting up all the way and turning to face him.

"It's interesting to see how quick you are to trust people, that's all. You've known her for less than five hours yet I've never heard you laugh that hard in the weeks that I've been with you."

"Well, it's not exactly like life's given us a reason to smile as of lately. Besides, her stories are hilarious, and I really like her, what can I say?" she shrugged.

"I was just saying it's an interesting quality that you have," he clarified.

"Oh, all right... Thanks, I guess..." she said, resting her head back in her arms.

About seven minutes later the redhead returned with a maroon tray consisting of two medium-sized drinks, a cheeseburger wrapped in protective foil, and a slice of pineapple pizza.

"Sorry it took a while, the line was really long today," she apologized, setting down the tray. "I also got you a drink in case you wanted one. I didn't know what drink you wanted, so I just got you Sierra Mist."

"You didn't have to do that, but thank you so much," Naminé smiled, gratefully accepting her food and drink.

"No prob," Kairi smiled back as she sat in her chair across from the blonde. "So you wanna wait until we're done eating to tell the other story or no?"

The girl immediately shook her head. "No, I wanna hear it now."

"All right, so from what Riku told me, he stole some Levitra from his grandparents' house - really nice people, by the way, his grandpa made us pumpkin pie one time when we were over - and slipped it in Sora's soda when he wasn't paying attention. I think the worst part was he was supposed to help a teacher who taught in the elementary school right next to our school after lunch since it was a community service thing we had to do, and because it was the last day to do it, he had to go or else he'd pretty much fail the class. I can just imagine the look on the teacher's faces when he walked in with a full on raging boner..."

* * *

"Wait, so she did actually do it?" Naminé asked in disbelief, hanging on to every word that came out of the redheaded girl's mouth.

"I dunno. She refuses to talk about it whenever I bring it up. It's a mystery that continues to haunt me to this very day..."

"What?! No, you can't just leave it at that!" she whined.

"Listen, I wanna know as much as you do, but like I said, she never confirms nor denies it," Kairi stated as she untied her rope and threw it in the boat.

"That sucks..." Naminé sighed, disappointed.

"Well, I mean, you really can't blame her for not wanting to tell anyone. I wouldn't exactly be running down the streets screaming that I made out with my assistant science teacher, either."

"Yeah, that's true," the blonde smirked, "but doesn't the fact that she won't talk about it mean that she **did** do it?" she hypothesized.

"Maybe. We won't know for sure unless she tells us herself."

"...Was he at least a little attractive?" Naminé unabashedly asked.

"Eh. I'd give him a six - seven if I'm feeling generous - but that's not the important thing. The important thing is that she made out with her assistant science teacher at homecoming."

"Yeah, I know, but if he was kinda cute then I could kinda understand it."

"Excuse me, but are you implying that you'd make out with an as - no, one of your teachers if they were hot enough?" the auburn-haired teen interrogated, staring expectantly; almost accusingly at Naminé.

She hesitated a few moments before giving her honest answer: "...They'd have to be at the very least a nine or above, that's my policy. And it wouldn't be face eating or anything, just a tiny peck on the cheek."

Kairi gagged. "Sorry, I just had an image of you goin' at it with my Geometry teacher. I mean, hey, if you're into guys old enough to be your grandpa, that's cool, I guess..."

"Oh, God, no!"

"I also couldn't help but notice that your rules were really specific. I kinda wanna ask why that is, but I think it's better if I don't know," she teased, flashing a suggestive smirk at the end.

"Hey, if you're gonna ask a question like that, you've gotta be specific with your answer!" Naminé defended. "Honestly, I'm feeling so attacked right now," she dramatically added.

The redhead chuckled. "Trust me, you're gonna feel like that a lot when you're with us; I guarantee it."

The blonde gave a toothy grin. "Looking forward to it."

* * *

"Look who's back," Riku stated, drawing Sora and Tidus' attention to Kairi's boat slowly approaching the island.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" the youngest boy mischievously asked the two.

"Mm, not today. Roxas and Naminé are there, y'know?" the blue-eyed brunet pointed out.

"We'll get our chance when she's alone," the silver-haired teen assured, swimming over to the blitzball that was trying to escape out into the open ocean. "Let's just keeping playing."

* * *

"Hmph, good, at least they have some sort of decency," Kairi stated out of the blue, her sudden negative attitude catching Naminé off guard.

"Hm? Who are you talkin' about?" she asked as she looked past the girl, spotting three figures in the sea throwing the ball from earlier.

"Those idiots over there," she said, jerking her thumb behind her. "About nine out of ten times they always try to tip my boat over when I come. It's so damn aggravating! I had to get a new phone and replace my rope seven times because of them! Seven! And let me tell ya, rope is **not** cheap."

"Jeez, really?"

"Yep. Like I promised, you're gonna feel attacked while you're here."

"I didn't know you meant it literally!"

Kairi shrugged. "Well, it's too late to back out now. Looks like you're gonna be stuck here with us for a while."

The redhead cruelly chuckled as she saw the horrified realization that made its way onto Naminé's face.

* * *

"So you got everything you need for now?" Kairi asked the pair as they walked down the wooden steps from the dock to the beach.

"Everything besides a place to sleep," Naminé answered, her eyes wandering over to the boys who were heavily invested in their game.

"You know, Sora's mom used to take in a lot of homeless people back in the day when they were pretty common around here. I dunno if she's still doin' that, but I could ask Sora for you," she offered, tearing away the girl's attention from the attractive young men.

"Really? You think that'll work?"

"I dunno, but you need somewhere to sleep, don't you? I mean, I guess you two could sleep on the couches in the shack if you wanted, but it's still pretty hot in there at night. So whaddya say?"

"I mean, that sounds amazing and all, but I feel like that's asking a lot..."

"Listen, I can assure you with one hundred percent certainty that he won't mind you two staying over. I think I'm qualified to say that since I've known him since we were kids. Look, I know I just called him a dick a few minutes ago, but he's honestly a really nice, genuine guy."

"Uh, I dunno, we've barely talked to each other. Wouldn't it be just a tad bit awkward?"

"You were listening when he talked about his favorite things, right?"

"Yeah...?"

"Then that's basically Sora in a nutshell for ya. He likes to keep things simple, mostly 'cause his brain can't handle it any other way. Besides, he's a people person, so he sorta has a knack for getting along with others easily," she mentioned, glancing at said boy before going back to Roxas and Naminé. "I'll call him over and see what he says. Hopefully his mom's cool with it," she said, jogging over to the beach.

As she yelled at the brunet to come ashore, Naminé began to wonder where the other two islanders were, seeing as they were nowhere to be found. She looked around and eventually spotted them sitting on the edge of a bridge connecting the main island to an even smaller one. Based on their composure, Wakka seemed to be lecturing Selphie as she had her arms crossed defiantly and a childish pout on her face.

Soon Kairi ran back to the duo with a cheerful, radiant grin on her pink lips. "He said it's no problem! He also wanted to know if you wanna go now or later."

"Um, later, I guess," Naminé blinked, surprised at the boy's enthusiastic answer.

"'Kay," the redhead replied, turning on her heel to deliver the message.

"Wait."

She stopped and turned back around expectantly. "Yup?"

"Can you also tell him that we said 'thank you'?"

"Mm, I think it'd mean more if you told him that yourselves," she suggested.

"Yeah, that's true."

"Hey, so after I'm done talking with Sora, you two wanna go in for a quick swim?"

'That's what we forgot to get! Man, I knew we were missing something...' she thought, mentally face-palming herself. "Um, we kinda forgot to buy swimsuits..."

"Ah, well, maybe tomorrow, then."

"Yeah, tomorrow for sure."

"All right," she grinned, running to the soaked brunet waiting for her by the coast.

"Do you know how to swim?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah, but I've never swam in the ocean before. Is it harder than swimming in a pool?"

"Usually, yes, but the waves aren't as strong here. Just don't go in too far."

"Gotcha... So are you likin' the place so far?"

He apathetically shrugged. "I suppose."

Naminé masked the small amount of disappointment that threatened to appear on her face. 'In time, in time,' she reminded herself.

"Hey, Wakka, you gonna join us or what?" Tidus yelled, disrupting the girl from her thoughts.

"Can't wait to get ya asses handed to ya, can ya?" he arrogantly challenged, strutting over to the little island and diving off the edge before he resurfaced and began to swim towards the boys.

"Hey, you gonna stand there melting in the sun or are you comin' in?" Kairi called from the doorway of the shack.

"We're comin'," the platinum-blonde replied, sprinting towards the structure while Roxas sauntered over.

Once inside they spotted the redhead lying down on the couch to their left, a small bag of chips sitting on her stomach. "I'm pretty sure most of them haven't expired, but feel free to take some, though I'd double-check the dates if I were you," she advised, pointing to the corner on their right. They turned their heads and found a mountain of snacks standing big and tall, able to feed a family of six for weeks without skipping a single meal.

'How did I not see that before?' she wondered, becoming somewhat amazed at her inability to spot abnormalities.

"Thanks, but right now I'm kinda wondering what the hell gave you the urge to make...that..."

"Honestly, just pure boredom. We stared chuckin' chips that we weren't gonna eat and bada bing, bada boom, you got yourself a month's worth of food."

Kairi sat up and patted to the spot next to her. "C'mon, sit down and take a load off. Hell, take a nap if you want," she recommended, opening her bag and stuffing her face with potato chips.

The fair-haired pair sat on the couch, sinking into it as they did before.

"So how come you're not with everyone else?" Naminé asked, struggling a little to stay afloat.

"Ah, no reason. I'm just tryin' to cool down while I eat," she answered after swallowing the moist mass of chips in her mouth. "'Sides, I'm tired from all the walking and rowing. Gotta save that energy up for the trip back home."

"Oh, yeah, I see. Gotcha."

A few moments later they heard the stairs creak as someone made their way down from the bridge outside. An exhausted Selphie soon popped into view, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. She instantly brightened upon seeing the nomadic duo.

"Hey, you two. How come you aren't out there enjoyin' the sea?"

"We forgot to buy swimsuits," the blonde answered.

"Jesus, Selph, you're leavin' a whole river behind ya," Kairi remarked.

"It's hot as hell out there, whaddya expect?" she defended as she began to peel off her yellow cover up, revealing a pale amber bikini.

"Well, it got a little hotter when you stared takin' off your clothes, y'know what I'm sayin'?"

"Oh, be quiet," the brunette chuckled, throwing the garment at the redhead's face, her friend catching it with ease.

"Hey, I'm just statin' the facts," Kairi shrugged, a playful smirk blooming on her lips. Selphie rolled her eyes and slumped on the couch.

"Whatever you say, Kai," she sighed, tilting her head back and closing her eyes.

"So what was Wakka yelling at you about this time?" the auburn-haired teen asked, keeping the worn-out girl from her nap.

"The usual stuff," she answered, her eyes remaining shut. "Which is BS because I wasn't the one who started to it. If Tidus would just grow up a little then we wouldn't have this problem."

"Well, you're not exactly the definition of mature yourself," Kairi reminded.

"Yeah, I know that, but he's on an entirely different level of immaturity! It's that huge ego of his, I'm tellin' ya! For some reason he thinks that he's **so** great like he should be given a gold medal just for existing or something! It's just part of what makes him so damn obnoxious!" she ranted, no longer trying to sleep as she continued venting. "I mean, for God's sake, he can't even tell Yuna that he likes her! What kind of cocky bastard can't even do that?! He tries to make himself look all high and mighty, but he just ends up looking so stupid!"

"...Well, damn, okay..." the redhead blinked, taken aback by the sudden tirade. "Jesus, that sounded like some deep, repressed shit. You should really get that kinda stuff sorted out or talk to a therapist or something, 'cause that cannot be healthy."

The brunette sheepishly scratched her cheek. "Whoops, guess I kinda got a little carried away there..."

"You think?"

"Okay, I did. Jeez, you tryin' to make me seem crazy in front of our guests?"

"Oh, no, not at all. You're doin' a fine enough job already without my help."

"...I hate you so much," she glared.

"Love you, too."

The caramel-haired girl sighed once more. "I'm goin' to sleep," she stated, shifting to the position she was in before. "And you better not disturb me this time, 'cause I swear to God I'm go-'

The door suddenly burst open as the saturated boys noisily paraded into the shack, exuberantly high-fiving each other and making a racket.

"Whoa, what the hell happened?" Kairi asked.

"Guess who just won against the 'unbeatable' blitzball champion?" Sora smugly asked, his face-splitting grin filled with nothing but pride.

The girl was first shocked then amazed. "You did not..." she trailed off unbelievingly, the corners lips beginning to curve upwards. She turned to Riku for his confirmation, earning an affirmative nod from him.

"It's about goddamn time, you guys!" she congratulated, allowing a full smile to bloom on her face.

The tired fourteen-year-old sluggishly clapped her hands, letting out a lazy 'whoop' before dropping her hands to her sides.

"Mahn, I dunno why y'all so pumped about it. It was only one win," Wakka pointed out.

"You're only saying that 'cause you lost," Tidus teased with a cocky grin, "and besides it was our first win, so of course we gotta celebrate!"

"We should go to your dad's place, Wakka; rub it in his face that his son lost," Sora suggested. "He's open today, right?"

The orange-haired teen shook his head. "Nice try, brudda, but he's campin' wid my uncle on Tatola (Tortola). Or maybe it was Bamuda (Bermuda)... I dunno, one of dem," he shrugged.

"How 'bout Nani's?" the silver-haired hunk proposed.

The majority of the group buzzed their approval while a cranky Selphie grumbled that she wanted to stay on the island and rest.

"Nuh-uh, you're comin' with us whether you wanna or not!" her friend stated, picking her up wrist and yanking the girl to her feet.

"But I'm tired..." she mumbled sleepily.

"A body in motion stays in motion, Selph. Remember that's what Mr. Lennings taught us?"

"No, that wasn't him, that was Mr. Freeman," she corrected.

"Bet Mr. Lennings taught you a thing or two at homecoming," she smirked.

"I'm still not gonna talk about it, so you might as well stop trying," the brunette advised, immediately seeing where her friend was getting at.

"C'mon, just a simple yes or no!" Kairi pleaded.

"No."

"Was that your answer or where you saying no as in 'no, I will not answer'?"

"You pick."

"C'mon, did you or did you not?!"

"Fine, you really wanna know?"

Her friend nodded vigorously.

"Well, if it shuts you up..." Selphie went up to her ear and whispered her answer, everyone else slightly leaning forward in an attempt to hear the brunette's response.

Kairi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, okay, that makes sense."

"What does?" Sora asked, eager to finally know the answer once and for all.

"Eh, it's nothin' worth mentionin'," the redhead nonchalantly replied, the brown-haired boy's jaw dropping in disbelief.

"Oh, God, not you, too..."

"Let's just go already, I'm starvin'!" Tidus urged, the rest of the gang reluctantly going along with their original plan.

* * *

"Eyyy, Nani!" Wakka greeted as they entered the wooden windowless restaurant.

A somewhat well-built though slightly slender woman with fine bronze skin, dark-chocolate eyes, and wavy ebony hair that reached a bit past her shoulders looked up from her phone she was a using behind the hostess stand.

"Hey, how's it goin', everybody?" she welcomed with a lively smile, inserting her phone into the back pocket of her beige pants. Almost instantly she spotted the newcomers upon scanning the crowd.

"And who are the new faces?" she asked, tilting the podium slightly as she leaned forward in interest.

"My name's Naminé."

"I'm Roxas."

"Nice ta meetcha, Roxas and Naminé."

"You know the door in the cave that won't open?" Kairi began.

"Uh, yeah...?"

"They came from the other side."

Nani's eyes widened a bit. "Huh. Really? You don't say..." She turned back to the foreigners. "What's it like?"

"Um, well, there was this -"

"There was this maze, and it was total complete darkness, like you couldn't see your hand a centimeter from your face!" Tidus rudely interrupted, earning a painful stomp on his foot from his best friend Selphie.

The woman gave a low whistle, ignoring the boy's cries of pain. "Wow, musta been pretty tough. How'd you do it?"

"Your guess is as good as ours," the blonde answered. "Guess we just got lucky."

"Guess so," Nani playfully shot back. She finally faced everybody else. "So then a table for eight, yeah?"

"Yee." Sora confirmed.

"All right," she began, pulling out the menus from the stand. "Follow me," she instructed, leading them to the far left side of the restaurant where it was less cramped and a scenic view of the crystal-clear ocean was visible on all sides of the establishment. She pushed two large, heavy rectangular tables together with the help of Wakka and handed everyone their bill of fares as they took their seat.

"I think most of you already know me, so let's just get right to it: What can I get you all to drink?" she recited, pulling out a notepad and a ballpoint pen from her black apron.

After everyone rattled off what they wanted, Nani promised to be right back with the drinks before she disappeared into the kitchen a few feet away in front of the lobby.

"So what'd you do this time that made you win the match?" Kairi asked, turning to the boys.

Sora shrugged. "I dunno, I didn't really notice if we did anything different from how we usually play."

"I think Tidus didn't hoard the ball all to himself as much this time around," Riku mentioned.

"I don't hog the ball!"

"Yeah, you do," the guys, including Wakka, stated in unison, earning a chuckle from the brunette and redhead.

The boy huffed and folded his arms across his chest like a pissed off six-year-old. "Whatever. What matters is that we won, end of story."

"Winning isn't everything, Tidus," Kairi reminded.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it."

"So what'd you guys do while you were at the mall?" the spiky-haired brunet asked. "It took you a really long time to get back."

"Ah, nothin' super special. We all bought what we needed and then we ate afterwards. I think what took us a little longer than usual was the trip to the jellyfish pool. Man, you should've seen Naminé's face when I told her about it. Her eyes lit up like Christmas lights," the redhead smiled, directing everyone's eyes to the blonde.

Naminé froze up as she felt paralyzed by all the stares that suddenly landed upon her, monitoring her every move like a pack of starving wolves who had just spotted their next meal.

"I just really like jellyfish, that's all..." she quietly mumbled, her voice sounding a lot more puny and feeble than she had hoped it to be.

"Nice work, Kai, you made her embarrassed," the sandy-blond boy commented.

"No, I didn't! You're the ones staring at her!" she defended.

"We wouldn't be if you hadn't made us."

"Since when did I make you?!"

"Heads up, drinks are comin'," the silver-haired teen interrupted, halting the petty argument for a few blissful seconds.

"Jeez, I can hear you yell all way from there!" Nani remarked as she passed out drinks. "I swear, you're louder than Lilo and I when we fight."

"Hey, speaking of Lilo, where is she? Doesn't so-called 'work' with you during summer break?" Kairi asked.

"She's taking Stitch out for a walk right now, or at least that's what she told me."

"Uh, you sure that's a good idea? I mean, Stitch is pretty small, but he can **really** pull on that leash," Sora added.

"It's fine, I told David to go with them in case something happens."

"I still don't know what breed has that color coat. Are you sure Lilo didn't spray paint him blue before she brought him to you?" Riku questioned.

The waitress shrugged. "I dunno, but he makes one hell of a guard dog, that's for sure." She fished out eight straws and took out her scratchpad once more. "So you all ready to order?"

"Yup, think so," Sora confirmed after checking with everyone.

"All right, so I'll start with you, Selphie."

* * *

"Whew, I am **stuffed** ," Sora said, patting his satisfied belly.

"I think my stomach's gonna explode..." Tidus groaned as he clutched his abdomen in pain.

"Dat's what ya get for not listenin' to me when I said to go easy on da shrimp," Wakka parentally scolded.

"It was so worth it..."

"So how was everything?" Nani asked after taking orders from a table of customers not too far away from them.

Numerous shouts of effusive praise arose from the teens, causing the owner/waitress to break out in a proud, wide smile.

"Glad to hear it. I'm guessin' dessert is a must, then, huh?"

The sudden protests caught the woman off guard, making her jump a little from the abrupt change in volume.

"All right, all right, stop screaming; I get it! I'll be right back with the check," she said, walking off.

"So who's payin'?" Tidus asked, silencing everyone in mere moments.

"Uh, I got $5 left..."

"Got a twenty right here."

"I have ten bucks on me."

"I left my money at home..." Sora recalled regretfully.

"Ditto," Selphie said.

"And I'm broke as all hell," Riku bluntly stated.

"Well, let's hope that we have enough," the redhead suggested. She turned to Roxas and Naminé and noticed the blonde was awfully transfixed on her empty plate. "Hey, you okay there?" she asked, cocking her head to the left in concern.

The flaxen-haired girl nodded. "Yup, just tryin' not to throw up."

"I wouldn't necessarily count that as being okay..."

"I'll be fine."

"Doesn't look like it. To me you look like you're about to puke all over the whole damn table."

"You know what; you might actually be right about that..."

"Yeah, I think you should go outside and get some fresh air or something."

"I should probably go and do that," she concurred, standing up out of her chair and booking it out of the restaurant. Roxas followed suit, mumbling a quick 'excuse me' before he went.

"Hey, somethin' serious happen, or...?" Selphie whispered to Kairi.

"Naminé's just feeling a little nauseous, so she went outside for a quick breather, and he probably went with her for support, I guess," she explained, reaching for her Mountain Dew.

"Ah, I see... Damn, he's so fucking fine."

The redhead nearly spilled her drink on herself as she burst out laughing from the unexpected, candid statement. "Of course you'd be that one person saying that!"

"Oh, like you weren't thinking that already."

"At least I have the decency to keep it to myself!"

"Exactly! You were thinking it, too! And besides, you know I got a thing for shy guys."

"Yeah, I know that, but I thought you liked Tidus."

"Ew, why the hell would you think that?!"

"'Cause I thought you two had one of those relationships where you pretended to hate each other and argue all the time, but you actually enjoy teasing each other and you low-key like the other, y'know what I mean?"

"Well, I do like teasing him, that part's true, but everything else is just your sick, twisted fantasy."

"Are you sure you don't like him?"

"Positive."

"Not even a teensy-weensy bit?"

"Nope."

"Ah, okay..."

'Welp, there goes twenty bucks I don't have,' Kairi thought. 'Goddammit, Riku, why is it that you always win when we bet money...'

"Hey, what was so funny that you were laughin' at earlier?" Sora asked his claret-haired friend, leaning forward on his elbows to hear better.

"Nothing!" the girls simultaneously giggled.

Sora gave them a slightly puzzled, suspicious look before he shrugged it off and reclined back in his chair, taking a sip of his Pepsi.

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor Lilo and Stitch or their respective characters.**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **Ooh~ Naminé better watch out before Selphie takes her man ;). I'm sorry I just had to. So, Jesus, that was a pretty long chapter, huh? Kudos to you if you made it all the way to the end. I was honestly anticipating a late upload, but somehow I managed to make it. Nice. Oh, yeah, and as of the day of this update, the Tokyo Game Show Sony pre-conference should be happening tomorrow, at least where I am. I heard that 2.8 is supposed to be there, and POSSIBLY a new trailer. I dunno, kh13 and khinsider said there MAY be one, but it's not confirmed as of now whether or not it's a new one or what. Point being, I REALLY hope we get a new one. I really wanna see more of Backcover, since 0.2 is supposed to be relatively short, and DDD really has nothing new (besides that slick 60fps and 1080p which looks GOD-LIKE). If it wouldn't be too much of a burden, I'd like to know what all you would like to see/what you think we'll see. Y'know, get a little discussion goin'.**

 **Anyhoo, I've rambled on for long enough as I always do, so once again, thank you for reading, and feel free to review! Just a heads up that the next update will be the last part of the 'Trapped in Paradise' trinity, so look forward to that. As usual, I hope you liked the story thus far, and I hope you continue to enjoy reading as we progress! Have a lovely day/night. :)**

 **EDIT: THIS IS NOT A DRILL, IT IS CONFIRMED BY NOMURA HIMSELF VIA TWITTER THAT A NEW 2.8 TRAILER WILL BE DROPPING TOMORROW. AHHHH, I CAN'T WAIT! HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET A RELEASE DATE THIS TIME BESIDES A RELEASE WINDOW, BUT IF IT DOESN'T, THAT'S OKAY, I JUST WANNA SEE IT!**


	14. Trapped in Paradise - Part Three

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

* * *

Naminé wiped away any leftover vomit on her lips with the back of her hand, spitting out the rest that was in her mouth into the trash can with disgust. She scraped her hand against the rim to get as much off as she possibly could. "I don't get it, the _lau lau_ was really good, so why did I throw up?" she asked herself.

"It happened because you forced yourself to eat until your stomach couldn't handle it," Roxas stated in a blunt tone.

"It was kinda expensive and I didn't want it to go to waste," she defended.

"Then you could've taken to-go in a box," the spiky-haired blond reasoned.

She opened her mouth to counter him, but upon thinking it over, she realized that what he suggested was a perfectly valid solution. She immediately clamped her mouth shut and cursed herself for being so narrow-minded at times. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done," she finally replied, beginning to turn to the restaurant to go back in only to find that the crew was already making their way out.

The blonde noticed Sora with their backpack making a beeline towards them, causing the girl to internally go into panic mode but at the same time feel a little...happy?

"Hey, Kai, said that you weren't feelin' so hot. You doin' okay?" he asked as he handing her their knapsack.

"Yup," she said, plastering on a smile as she accepted the backpack, hoping he wouldn't see past her facade.

"Good," he smiled back, her heart feeling like it was about to melt from his warm grin. "So I was gonna say that we should start headin' over to my place, but then I remembered that I left my keys on the island, and Mom's workin' tonight, so we gotta go back. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," the girl replied.

"Hey, Naminé, you feelin' any better now?" Kairi asked as she came up from behind the brunet, her green-eyed friend right by her side.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she assured, feeling a little flattered by their concern.

"You sure? You look a kinda red there," Selphie pointed out, teasing the blonde under the radar.

"I'm just tired, that's all," she smoothly responded, dodging the possibility of being put on the spot once more.

"Well, we're just gonna get our stuff from the island and then we'll all head home."

"Yeah, I just told them that," Sora explained.

"Oh - then there ya go, I guess."

The rest of the group soon joined them shortly afterwards, Wakka and Tidus exchanging their good bye's as they were the only ones that brought their keys with them.

After the two boys left the sextet went off to the island as promised and slipped into the clothes they wore before when they first arrived there earlier in the day. The brunet had on a sky-blue tank top with gray cargo shorts while his older friend was adorned in semi-baggy jeans, a grey T-shirt, and an unzipped black sleeveless hoodie. Selphie still retained her yellow cover up, now accompanied by her sun hat from before, and Kairi didn't need to change as she was already wearing her clothes.

As they all rowed back to the main island, they were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous fading sunset that gave the sea green ocean a stunning golden appearance.

"You ever have any sunsets like this where you're from?" the brunet asked as he continued to paddle.

"No, not as beautiful as this," Naminé answered as she was hypnotized by the marvelous masterpiece painted by nature herself. "I mean, our home wasn't named 'Twilight Town' for nothing, but this, this is somethin' else..."

"Twilight Town? I think I remember my mom talkin' about the place with her friends. Said it got demolished or something?" he bewilderingly asked.

"Uh...Yeah, it...did...

"Oh, wow, I'm so sorry... Jeez, now I feel like an asshole for bringin' it up," he sorrily admitted.

"It's fine, you don't have to feel bad, Kairi asked me the same question."

"Oh, really? Well, did she tell you why we're so curious about where you guys come from?"

"Yup: you've been living here your whole life and you wanna go some place new for a change."

"Guess she beat me to it then, huh?"

"Guess so," she smiled.

"So then what was it like? Your home, I mean - I mean, if you don't wanna talk about it, then I completely understand, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"It's fine, it's fine, I swear," she giggled. "Uh, well, all things considered, there was nothing a whole lot special about it, really. Sorry to disappoint you. Um, what I can say about it is it was a little more urban than over here, and cooler temperature-wise. There was also this supposedly 'haunted' mansion in the woods, which was the only place where big, tall trees could grow. I went there one time with a friend when I was younger, but we didn't find any evidence that pointed towards the place being haunted, which sorta sucked."

"And how were the people?"

"Same as over here: easy-going and friendly."

"Well, I try," he grinned. "And what about your family?" His smile immediately dropped upon seeing the sadness that briefly flashed in her eyes. "Oh, God, I did it again, didn't I? Jeez, I'm really sorry, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything, it's just-" He desperately tried to come up with a way to lessen the tension of the situation. "Uh, hey, tell ya what, I'll make it even by tellin' you somethin' embarrassing about myself so you can mock me for how stupid I was. Sound good?"

The girl nodded eagerly in response.

"Okay, so...um... Sorry, there's just a **lot** to choose from, so it's kinda hard to pick just one moment, y'know? All right, uh... Okay, so there was this one girl I liked in second grade, right? Long black hair, hazel eyes, kinda shy, too. Well, on Valentine's Day, we were supposed to hand out candy for everyone in the class, and I bought her an extra Reese's 'cause I really liked her, y'know? So, um, the thing is, I didn't know that she was allergic to peanuts, and apparently neither did she or her parents, so as soon as she bit into the cup, she broke out in hives and began to cry, and then I started crying, 'cause for some reason I thought that I'd cursed her or something like that." He coughed awkwardly. "So, yeah... I mean, I apologized to her, and we still talk and all, so I think it ended up all right in the end."

"So you gave your second grade crush hives on Valentine's Day?" Naminé asked.

"On accident!" Sora frantically reminded. "Anyways, can you see the dock yet?"

She looked past the chocolate-haired teen and nodded.

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good, my arms killin' me. I think I got a little sunburnt, actually, so I really just wanna get home."

"Oh, that reminds me. I've been meaning to tell you something," the blonde began.

"All right, shoot."

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for letting us stay your house. Everyone's been nothing but kind to us since we got here, and I don't want to take that kindness for granted, so please know that I mean it when I say that I'm very grateful to have met you and everybody else. Really, thanks so much."

She began to inwardly panic when the talkative boy suddenly went dead silent for a few moments.

'Oh, God, I overdid it, didn't I? I should've just said thanks and then left it at that! Now he probably thinks I'm a huge sap and he's probably already figured out that l-'

"Uh, no problem..." he finally answered, a hint of red hue permeating on his face. "Sorry, I was just a little flustered, that's all."

"Oh, okay, yeah, totally understandable," she rambled, trying to keep her nervousness under wraps.

"Hey, so did Kai ever tell you what happened at the mall between me and Riku?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded, a wide smile gracing her lips. "And then she told me what Riku did to get you back."

His florid face burned an even brighter shade of crimson. "She did?"

Naminé affirmatively nodded.

"Ah, I'm honestly not sure why I'm surprised," he sighed. "She loves to make fun of us whenever she can, so I should've expected her to tell you. I actually got banned from going on that school's grounds, but hey, I passed the class, so at least I got that," he dryly chuckled.

"So have you done anything to get him back?"

"No, not yet, but I maybe got a little something up my sleeve," he devilishly smirked.

* * *

"Oh, hey, before we head inside," Sora suddenly remembered as he turned to the blondies behind him, "are either of you allergic to or have a fear of dogs?"

The duo shook their heads.

"All right, cool," he smiled, turning back to the screen door and opening it before he unlocked the actual door to his home.

A refreshing wave of cool air rushed past Naminé, filling her being with instant relief from the malevolent heat outside.

"So the guest room's upstairs on the last door to your left. There's only one bed, though, and I don't think we have an air mattress, so sorry 'bout that."

"No worries, we-"

She was interrupted by an ecstatic bark enacting from upstairs, the stairwell dividing the kitchen from the living room.

"And that's Lady. She doesn't bite or anything, but she'll definitely try to jump on you. We just trimmed her nails yesterday, so you don't have to worry about her scratching you and stuff. Lemme tell ya, she **really** didn't like getting her nails clipped, but it needed to be done."

A brown Cocker Spaniel gracefully ran down the wooden steps, zealously scurrying over to the guests as fast as her little legs could carry her.

The blonde, overpowered by the sheer cuteness of the tiny puppy, squatted down to pet the fluffy, eager canine. Lady enthusiastically licked the girl's fingers and barked in approval, allowing Naminé permission to stay in her domain.

"So you named her after the movie?" she asked, referring to the _Lady and the Tramp_.

"Yup."

"How old is she?"

"Uh, seven or eight months, I think. We got her when she was around ten weeks old," he informed, crouching down as well. "We're trying to get her house-trained, but so far no luck." The brunet glanced over at the small dog. "You're gonna piss on everything we love, aren't you, Lady?"

She curiously looked over at him and winked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he sighed, standing up. "So, yeah, that's about it. Help yourselves to the fridge if you want, and if you need anything you can find me outside walkin' Lady."

"Okay, thanks again."

"No prob, Bob," Sora smiled as he went over to retrieve the leash from the key rack by the door, clipping it onto the puppy's collar.

* * *

Upon opening the white door, the lodgers were welcomed by the fragrance of soothing lavender, and the sight of a heavenly soft, comfy queen-sized bed. Looking around more the platinum-haired girl noted a pair of glass panel doors showcasing a small balcony exactly opposite of them on the other side of the room. She also spotted a closet with sliding doors directly to their right where they were in the door way, and a restroom on the left wall next to a mounted flat screen TV.

As Naminé washed her face with water before she went off to sleep, she thought about what had taken place earlier that was sticking on her mind ever since they left the restaurant. Of course no one else thought much of it, but to her this was yet another phenomenal milestone accomplished by the blond waiting for her in the other room. It was simple: he was reaching for something, he ended up accidentally spilling his drink, and he quickly set the cup upright again. However, it wasn't what he **did** that caught her interest, but rather how he reacted afterwards. When she glanced over at him, she saw an undeniably blushing Roxas looking somewhere else in silent embarrassment. She had to admit to herself that he sort of looked cute when he was embarrassed; almost as cute as Lady...

She shook her head, trying to rid the thought from her mind. If she thought of anymore cute boys then she was sure she'd go into some crazed hormone frenzy, which was something she'd rather avoid.

After she finished washing her face, she contemplated whether or not to take a shower while she was still in the bathroom. She decided the shower could wait until tomorrow as she wanted to go to bed ASAP. With that in mind, she dried herself off and exited the room.

As soon as she felt the plushy blanket neatly tucked under the sides of the mattress she just wanted to wrap herself in it and never leave its velvety embrace.

'Jesus, it's so soft...' she thought in awe before she hastily buried herself underneath the sheets. She grabbed fistfuls of the pleasantly smooth cloth, entirely fascinated by the divine silky texture of it under her fingertips.

The blonde soon poked her head out as she felt Roxas lie down next to her, gasping for air as she surfaced. "Hey, so..." she began, pausing to adjust her position so she was lying on her right side facing him, "is it really true what Kairi said earlier? About it being pretty much impossible to get outta here?"

"It's not necessarily impossible per se, but it is going to be rather challenging."

"How come?"

"As she mentioned before, this is a naturally sequestered world. So far the only known ways of entering or exiting it is by going through the door, but in our case we'd only be backtracking. However, that being said, there is another bizarre feature about the islands - rather the ocean - that could possibly serve as our next exit," he informed.

"Well, what is it?"

"From what's written in my data banks, the center of a hurricane in this world isn't calm like it should be, but instead there's a monstrous whirlpool that has the abnormal capacity to act somewhat like a transporter. Think of it as underwater wormhole. When you get sucked in, somehow you become transferred to the seas of another world."

"What? Are you serious?"

Roxas nodded. "I was a bit skeptical of it myself, but I noticed when Kairi was telling us about her past, she stated herself that she was found after a storm had occurred, correct?"

"Oh, yeah... So you think that's how she got here? The hurricane?"

"Given the information, I'd say it's reasonable to assume so."

"Well, I guess it kinda makes sense. So then what you're implying is that we sail out to sea while a huge storm is going on, and then cannonball into a whirlpool, yes?"

"If there were a safer alternative, then I'd suggest that one, but as of now that's the only option we have for the foreseeable future."

"...Honestly, I don't feel as scared or intimidated as I probably should be. Actually, as crazy as it sounds, the idea seems kinda fun..." she admitted. "You know what? Sure, why the hell not? I'm up for some bold, daring, stuff."

"Something tells me you won't be so nonchalant when the time comes."

"Hey, what can I say? I'm feelin' pretty lucky," she smiled. "It's a nice change from cold mountains and eerie mazes that's for sure. Y'know, if we weren't tryin' to find my uncle I'd definitely love to live here. Everything's just so beautiful, and the jellyfish pool is a nice little bonus."

"It is a more aesthetically pleasing world, yes."

"...I wonder how he's doing. God, it's been so long since I last saw him. I don't even remember what he looks like now that I think about it... I think - I think he had strawberry blond hair...or maybe just regular blond, and his eyes I believe were... icy blue...? No, I think it was magenta or something - no, wait, scratch that, they may have actually been brown... Ah, I dunno."

"Do you remember where he lived exactly?" he asked.

"Um, no, but I do kinda remember the address that was on the letter that he sent me. It was from the university he worked at."

"Was he a professor?"

"Yup, in fact he was one of the people who created you if my memory serves me right."

"Do you remember his name?"

"Does the name Ansem ring any bells?"

"Oh, Dr. Wise. I haven't met him, but he was one of the founders of the program."

"So I guess you don't know what he looks like, then?"

"No, I do. Every person who had some sort of involvement in the project has a headshot of them and their names next to what their roles were, along with any reports they may have written. Dr. Wise has shoulder-length pale blond hair, a circle beard, and amber eyes."

"All right, that makes it a whole lot easier to find him. I was kinda just plannin' on going to the university and askin' for him. He might not even still be there for all we know, so this definitely helps a lot."

"Do you have an alternate plan if it turns out we aren't able to find him?" he asked, the question catching her off guard.

"...No, not really, but I'm sure we'll be able to. Radiant Garden can only be so big, right?"

"So suppose we do manage to locate him, and it just so happens that he can't afford to house you. What will you do then?" Roxas countered.

The girl hesitated a bit before she responded, beginning to feel like she was being interrogated rather than being asked. "Then I'll get a job to help pay. It's not that complicated, really." She decided to end the conversation before he could ask another question she didn't want to answer. "Listen, I'd love to keep playing twenty questions and all, but I'm kinda tired, so can we just go to sleep, please?"

"Of course, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she murmured as she buried the right side of her face into the cool pillow. "G'night," she yawned, closing her indigo eyes.

"...Good night," he replied, his acute eyes flickering over to her for a split second. All throughout the day he's been wordlessly monitoring her sudden shift in behavior. She was different, or rather she was going back to how she was before when they first met. Ever since her home had been demolished he had noticed a small, but drastic change in her personality, but now she was beginning to regain that easy-going, cheerful side of her that he hadn't seen for quite some time. It was a good change; a great change even. Finally she was able to experience that merriness that she had been deprived of for so long.

All because he lacked the simple ability to make her happy.

Somehow they were able to bring her to gut-bursting laughter in a matter of a few hours opposed to him who'd known her for weeks, yet could barely get her to crack a smile every now and then. She still would've had fun regardless if he was with her the entire day or not.

It was clear to him now that she was remarkably happier with them than she ever was with him. To Roxas, it seemed like she didn't need him at all to be happy.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **Finished! Strangely enough, even though this chapter was a whole lot shorter than the other two, it took me a lot longer to type it up for some reason. Like normally I'd have the chapters ready to upload within a few days before their release, but it's literally Sunday right now at the time that I'm typing this. Weird, but I made it!**

 **So now we have Roxas beginning to doubt some of his abilities and his usefulness to Nami. I won't go too much into it, but I'm sure y'all have your opinions on the matter. And also, OMGGGG DID HE ACTUALLY BLUSH?! Yes, as a matter of fact. I was gonna add it in the last chapter, but it was already long enough as it is, so I just had Naminé recall it.**

 **On another note, I'm debating whether or not I should revise the last few paragraphs. I dunno, I feel like it could have a little more emotion to it. Unlike the beginning of chapter nine with Aqua's whole speech, I'm not exactly satisfied with how Roxas' is as of the moment. If I did edit it, then this paragraph that I'm writing right here would be removed. I dunno, I'm still kinda on the fence about it. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.**

 **As usual, thank you so much for reading! Man, I must sound like a broken record by now, but fuck it, I'll keep saying this until the very end! Like always, feel free to review, and I hope you liked the chapter enough to want to continue reading more! Trust me, we still have a LONG way to go, so just kick back and in bask in the knowledge that this train isn't stoppin' anytime soon. Until the next update! :)**


	15. Panic-inducing Pancakes

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

* * *

"Hey, you guys awake?" Sora asked as he rapped on the guest bedroom door.

"Now I am," the sleepy blonde answered, yawning as she sat up.

"Oops, sorry. I was just gonna ask if ya wanted to join us for breakfast. We're goin' out to eat today."

"Yeah, sure. Are you leavin' right now, or...?"

"In about ten minutes."

"Okay, I just need to take a quick shower, then we'll be right out."

"Got it," the boy replied, his fading footsteps accompanied by the merry jingle of Lady's tags as they made their way down the stairs.

'Was the shower part too much? I think I said a bit too much. Ah, I should've - no, no, I'm just being paranoid, that's all. God, pull yourself together,' she coached.

Before she got out of bed she glanced at the blond laying down next to her, or at least where he was supposed to be. Upon looking she saw him slipping on his coat near the foot of the bed, his lean bare back exposed to her for a few precious moments. However, her ogling was cut short when she caught sight of some sort of black emblem tattooed between his shoulder blades.

"Hey, stop for just a second," she said, Roxas immediately halting before he turned to her.

"Yes?"

"What's that thing you have on your back; the symbol?"

"That's the mark every android from the university will be given for people to distinguish androids from humans and other theoretical android companies," he explained.

She took another glance at the symbol. To her it looked like an upside-down heart, but sort of broken apart at the top and middle. In fact, it reminded her a little of that one mark she saw on one of the doors in the Land of Departure, but upside-down, of course. It was a bizarre design, but she wouldn't lie; it did make him look somewhat like a badass.

"Aren't they gonna ask what the tattoo's of when we go swimming today?"

"I'll say that the design appealed to me when I went to the parlor, so I don't what it represents."

"Well, I guess that works," she sighed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, and retrieving a new pair of undies from the backpack. "I'll be back in a few," she said before she went into the bathroom to start her morning shower.

* * *

"Hey, lazy bum, you're late," Kairi irritably growled as the brunet sat down in front of her, her attitude taking a complete 180 as she kindly greeted the blondies as they took their seats next to him.

The brown-haired boy shrugged with vindication. "I forgot my uniform halfway here. Gimme a break, will ya?"

"Ya know da rules, brudda," Wakka reminded with a condescending smirk.

"Aw, c'mon, I've paid four times already!" Sora complained.

"Then congrats, here's to your fifth," Selphie toasted, briefly raising her cup of orange juice up before she downed half the glass.

"I mean, honestly, you'd think you'd be the first person here considering it's your job," the redhead pointed out.

A young waiter with jet-black hair and brown eyes, his right containing a small fragment of green in the lower left corner of his iris, came up to the group to check whether or not they were ready to order.

"Uh, I think we're still waiting on one more person," Kairi answered.

The waiter gave a patient smile. "Whenever you're ready," he said, turning to the late trio. "And I can get you all your drinks now if you're ready."

"Um, I'll take an orange juice, please," the pale blonde answered. The teen nodded in acknowledgement, already adding her order to the long lists of others in his brain. "And for you guys?" he asked the boys.

"I'm not gettin' anythin'," Roxas replied.

"I'll get an orange juice, too," the brunet responded.

"All right, I'll be right back," the waiter smiled as he walked over to the next table of hungry customers.

"Yeah, I don't think Tidus is comin'," the brunette remarked.

"He was probably up all night playin' video games again," the blue-eyed boy added.

Right after the last word had slipped from his lips, their phones vibrated, chimed, and beeped simultaneously; the teens immediately turning to their phones and grabbing them in unison as if they'd rehearsed the act over and over again until they'd gotten it perfect.

"Welp, that settles it," the auburn-haired teen stated, pocketing her teal phone into her dark-blue denim shorts.

"You know whatcha wanna get?" Sora asked the light-haired duo, the girl suddenly realizing that she hadn't even taken a look at her menu.

"Hold on, I didn't even look at the menu yet..." she mumbled.

"It's cool. You know, I gotta say for Trevor's first time on the mornin' shift, he's doin' a pretty decent job. A lot better than I did, that's for sure. I always had to look at one of the customer's menus 'cause I could never memorize all the food," he recalled.

"So how long have you been workin' here?" Naminé asked as she skimmed through the menu.

"Uh, good question. Maybe...six months now? I dunno, I'm not really good at keepin' track of time. As long as it helps pay the bills, then that's all I'm really concerned about, y'know?"

'Yeah, I know what you mean," the girl smiled.

"You ever had a job before?" the brown-haired teen asked, turning his body slightly more towards her.

"Mm-hmm. I worked as a cashier in this one fabric store back home. The woman who owned it also had this cat, I forget his name, but he was a real sweetheart. Most of the time he'd either be lying on the counter or brushing up against your legs purring; it was so adorable. Me and Roxas also worked as cashiers in this shop in Traverse Town. It was only for a week, though."

"Ah, so you had two jobs, then. Yeah, before this one I used to work at the coffee shop in the mall. I was on duty when the whole Riku accident happened, so I ended up gettin' fired. Mom was pretty pissed when she found out, and if you've ever seen my mom get mad, it's **scary** ," he warned, shivering involuntarily as the haunting image of his mother's angry face surfaced into his mind.

She was about to ask another question, but then refrained from doing so as she saw Trevor already making his way over to them.

"So are we all ready to order now or do we still need more time?" he asked as he handed the two their designated drinks.

"Yup, we're ready," Sora announced, beginning to order his breakfast with everybody else following suit. As they waited for their food they animatedly chattered amongst themselves, firing a couple zingers at each other here and there, and occasionally erupting in contagious laughter that made a few people around them at the other tables chuckle at the gang's childish antics.

* * *

"...If you're waitin' on the waiter, does that make you the waiter?" the brunet suddenly asked, silencing everyone at the table in an instant. Selphie and Wakka turned to him with an incredulous look accompanied by quirked eyebrows and cocked heads. Kairi looked at the the boy dead in the face, staring at him for a few moments with a blank expression. "Shut the fuck up, Sora," she finally said, passively looking back down at her phone again. Before he could retaliate the waiter arrived with their long awaited food and a black metal folding tray.

"So is there anything else I can get you guys: ketchup, mayo, anything?" Trevor asked after he had distributed their meals, clasping his hands together as he talked.

"Um, I'd like a refill, please," Naminé requested.

"And I'll take some ketchup," the brunet added.

"All right, and you had orange juice, right?" he asked the blonde.

"Yup."

"Okay, I'll be right back with those," the heterochromatic waiter replied before he briskly walked away.

"All right! Let's dig in!" Sora eagerly exclaimed, his mouth watering at the sight and smell of the crispy, savory bacon and the warm, flavorful scrambled eggs, which he was about to make even tastier with a dash of salt.

While the petite girl enjoyed her luscious omelet she couldn't shake the feeling that something seemed a little...off to her, like she knew something strange was happening around her, but she couldn't exactly put her finger on exactly what it was.

'Damn, what was it? It's gotta be somethin' important if it's b-'

Her indigo eyes suddenly widened as it abruptly hit her. She warily glanced at the blond next to her who was casually cutting his stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes into sixes.

'He can't eat or drink. If he does, then...'

She anxiously watched as he stabbed a piece of the pancake and began bringing it up to his mouth.

'That's why he was avoiding eating yesterday. God, I completely forgot about the fact that he couldn't eat. That's probably why he's eating now so no one will get suspicious of him.'

Naminé gave a small nervous gulp before she brought her attention back to her omelet as she was suddenly aware that she's been staring for far longer than normal. She hoped whatever side effects would ensue wouldn't be too noticeable or anything irreversible.

She barely managed to swallow the now tasteless wad in her mouth as her anxiety was beginning to skyrocket by the second, bringing forth a sea of questions that only further increased the severity of her nervousness.

'What'll happen if they find out? What'll they do? Will they get the government involved with this? What if they think I'm an android too? Oh God, what if they do experiments on him? Would he be able to feel what they're doing to him? Can he even perceive pain? What if they see that he's able to feel emotions? Will that even matter to them at all?'

"Hey, you doin' all right there?"

The girl blinked and looked at Selphie who was looking at her, concern and slight suspicion etched on her young face.

The blonde plastered a reassuring smile on her lips. "Yeah, I'm good."

"...Okay, just makin' sure. Kinda looked like you were upset about somethin'," she remarked.

"That's just the face I make when I'm thinkin'," she lied.

"Oh, I see. Yeah, everyone tells me I look mildly disgusted when I'm thinkin' so you're not alone there. Personally, out of all of us, I think Riku's face is the scariest," she confessed. "He just has this emotionless stare that makes you think of some psychopath three seconds from murdering every person in the same room they're in. Like he looks like he's on the verge of snapping the hell out. I swear I'm not makin' this up, I'll even ask Kai." She turned to her redheaded friend who was listening to an apparently fascinating story as she was leaned forward with her elbows on the table, her hands tucked underneath her chin while she listened to the brunet; all of her focus solely on him as he continued to speak.

"Kai," Selphie interrupted, poking said girl in the ribs to get her attention.

The auburn-haired teen squirmed from the sudden touch. "What? What do you want?"

"You think Riku looks scary when he's thinkin', right?"

"Uh, yeah...? Why are you askin'?"

"See!" the brunette exclaimed as she turned to face Naminé.

"See what? What are you talkin' about?" the claret-haired girl asked, becoming more and more lost and confused.

"Don't worry about it."

"Tell me!" Kairi whined.

"It's nothin'," Selphie smirked.

"Selphie!"

"Nevermind, it's nothin' important!" the brown-haired girl giggled, grinning like a Cheshire cat as her friend continued to childishly pester her.

Naminé couldn't help but smile a little at the two, the scene reminding her of how she and Pence always acted around each other...

A cold dagger pierced her heart as she once again had to come to terms with the absence of her dear friend's presence. She had to remind herself that Pence was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it that would bring him back. As brutal as it was, she had to learn to accept that so she could move on with her life instead of always being stuck on the past; constantly wondering what she could've done differently to save him. In the end, no matter how many times she thought about it, she knew there was no way she could've found him in time before the bomb hit. It wasn't humanly possible.

If only a certain android would've taken a few more measly seconds to look for him.

"Hey, Naminé, you wanna take that to-go?" Kairi asked, snapping her out of her thoughts for the seconds time this morning.

The flaxen-haired girl looked down at her plate and saw that she wasn't even halfway done with her breakfast. "No, thanks, I'm still eatin' it."

"Ah, okay, just askin'... Oh my God, stop stealing my fucking strawberries!" the red velvet-haired girl demanded, irritated.

"But they taste so good..." Sora defended, reaching for yet another juicy sweet strawberry with his fork. Unfortunately, the boy ended up suffering the consequences of his actions.

"OW! Okay, Okay, I'll stop! Jeez, you didn't have to stab me with your goddamn fork just for stealing your strawberries!" the brunet protested.

"Oh, I didn't stab you, quit exaggerating."

"Yes, you did! Look, I'm even bleeding!"

"No you're not."

"Look, I'm tellin' you!" he urged, showing her the back of his right hand where the tiniest droplet of blood could barely be perceived by the naked eye. Kairi began to snicker at the sight.

"You mean that tiny little speck of blood? Oh, c'mon, even a four-year-old wouldn't be making as big of a deal as your are! Besides, I told you to stop, and you didn't, so you can't say I didn't warn you."

"But it was only a strawberry!" he pointed out once more, flabbergasted by his friend's refusal to apologize.

"Well, I mean, you did steal her food," Selphie chimed in.

"I did, but-"

"But nothing. You'd be pretty pissed too if I stole your bacon, right?" the brunette reasoned.

"Well, yeah, kinda, but not to the point where I'd want to stab you!"

"Once again, I did not stab you, I poked you. Hard," Kairi euphemized.

"Poking someone isn't supposed to make them bleed!"

'Jesus, why don't you two just fuck each other and get it over with?' the emerald-eyed teen thought to herself as she slumped back in her chair in defeat, realizing it was a waste of time and effort trying to break up the argument.

"Damn, you're done already?" Naminé heard Wakka exclaim in astonishment, the girl scanning the table for someone with an empty plate in front of them. To her surprise that someone was the spiky-haired blond sitting next to her.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I was really hungry," he replied, leaving Naminé stupefied.

'What? But I thought... Um, okay, I guess? I mean, as long as no one finds out, then I guess that's all that really matters... Yeah, I'll just go with that for now.'

Sticking to the passive thought, she resumed to happily eating her delectable omelet, reminding herself to enjoy their time here instead of fretting over nearly every problem they encounter.

* * *

"You sure? I really don't mind payin' for you guy's clothes," Kairi offered for the fourth time since the quartet started making their way to the mall.

"Yeah, I'm sure, but thanks again for the offer," Naminé replied, appreciating the kind gesture.

"So lemme get this straight, me and Kai are gonna get some clothes while you guys get your bathing suits and shit, then we meet up by the well. That's the plan, right?" Selphie asked.

"Mm-hmm," her auburn-haired friend wordlessly confirmed.

"'Kay, just makin' sure."

The outgoing teen turned to the light-haired pair. "All right, so we're gonna be goin' now. See ya in a few."

"See ya," Naminé replied, giving a small wave as the flamboyant friends walked off, Selphie doing a double-take as a handsome, burly, tan young man with music blasting out of his white earbuds strolled right past them. Kairi quickly took notice and dragged the transfixed teen along, knowing they were going to get nowhere if she continued to let the brunette stare and gawk.

"All right, here's hopin' it won't be too packed this time around," the pale blonde sighed, turning on her heel to venture further into the mammoth mall.

* * *

"Guess we finished early," Naminé noted as she and Roxas approached the appointed fount. She sat on the edge of the granite water feature and submerged her pale hands in the refreshing crystalline water, granting her a small break from the sweaty aridity. The quiet blond sat to her left and set the shopping bags he had been carrying down by his feet.

"Hey, so I wanna ask you 'bout somethin'," she began, turning her heads towards him.

"What is it?"

"Didn't you say before, like, way back when we first met that you couldn't eat, or that you weren't supposed to?"

"Not quite. I said I wasn't designed to, but I'm still capable of eating and drinking," he explained, keeping his voice low so as to prevent anybody from overhearing.

"Oh, good," she said, sighing in relief. "I was actually kinda freakin' out earlier at breakfast, but I guess I had nothin' to worry about," she smiled. "Okay, so just to make sure, it's totally fine for you to go in the water, right?"

He gave an affirmative nod. "As long as liquid can't get in, it's fine."

"But wouldn't water go up your nose or your ears or somethin'?" she asked.

"That's why I have sealers that I can automatically close at anytime, but in turn my hearing will be reduced drastically."

"Ah, okay, but for the most part you're good to go?"

"Yes."

"All right, sweet," she said, turning to the horde of people encompassing them, trying to discern a certain carefree redhead and her brunette friend. She heard their voices long before she could see them.

"Oh my God, Selph, stooop..." she heard Kairi desperately plead.

"Hey, I'm tryin' to help you get a hot date here. Trust me, you'll be thankin' me soon enough," the valiant girl assured.

"I just said he looked a little cute, that's all. I didn't mean that I wanna go out with him."

"Well, you said he's cute, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I dunno if he's the kinda guy that I'd wanna date. Just 'cause he's hot doesn't mean that his personality is gonna be all that great."

"Well, Kai, you'll never know unless you ask him out," Selphie encouraged.

"Even if I did wanna go out with him, what the hell am I gonna say? 'Hey, I think you're hot, wanna go on a date?'"

"What else? It's the truth, right?"

"Well, yeah, but - it's gonna take a little bit more than that if he's actually gonna consider goin' out with me."

"Then lemme help! Lemme be your wingwoman, and I promise you, you guys'll be gettin' down and dirty in no time. Satisfaction guaranteed, if you know what I mean."

"Please stop."

"All right, first we need to get his attention."

"Selphie, for the love of God, stop."

"I haven't even started phase one yet. You wanna see phase one?"

"I don't wanna see phase one."

"Well, too bad. Ready?"

"No."

"HEY, YOU! THE FINE-ASS IN JEANS AND RED SHIRT! YEAH, I'M TALKIN' TO YOU! MY SEXY, SINGLE FRIEND OVER HERE WANTS TO FUC-"

The abrupt silence worried Naminé a little, leading her to believe that Kairi must've snapped her neck to prevent her from saying anymore. Eventually she was able to spot the two disembodied voices though little gaps in the throng. She saw a squirming Selphie desperately trying to pry Kairi's hand off her mouth with little to no success.

The redhead also caught sight of them, a smile of relief gracing her pink lips for a second before her face suddenly contorted into comical disgust, immediately making her drop her hold on her captive.

"Ew! Did you just lick my fucking hand?!"

"You wouldn't let me go otherwise!"

"If you hadn't screamed at the top of your lungs that I wanted to fuck some random guy then I wouldn't have been forced to do that!"

"Who cares, Kai? He's just a stranger."

"I care! You made me embarrassed!"

"Oh, lighten up! There's nothin' wrong with checkin' out a few guys every now and then."

"That's not even the - fuck it, whatever," the auburn-haired teen sighed,"Let's get goin', they're already waitin' for us."

"Yeah, okay," the brunette gave in, trailing behind her friend as they snaked though the mob of people.

After several moments they reappeared a few feet in front of Roxas and Naminé, Kairi holding Selphie's hand in her left like a mother with an easily distracted child, and carried three bags with her right.

"Hey, sorry we're late, Sephie was holdin' us up as usual." she apologized, earning a glare from said brunette.

"It's fine, we just got here a couple seconds ago anyways. So then are we ready to go?" the blonde asked, drying her hands off on her dress before she stood up.

"Yup," the redhead chirped. She turned to the flirtatious girl next to her. "You're rowing this time."

"What?! Why me?"

"'Cause my arms are tired from yesterday."

"But I can barely lift anything with these noodles," she protested, moving her arms in a wave-like motion to make them appear weak and incompetent.

"Doesn't stop you from rowing to the island and back everyday."

"But I don't wanna..."

"I don't care, just do it."

"..."

"Please? For me?"

The lazy teen finally surrendered. "Fine, but only because I'm that nice of a person."

"No, you aren't."

"Yeah, you're right. We both know I'm just doin' it so you'll stop your bitchin'."

"That's the Selph I know and love."

"The one and only, baby."

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ Okay, so _technically_ this has multiple parts, but I'm not gonna put that in the chapter title 'cause for me personally that doesn't really look good when you're browsing through chapters and you see chapter X has three parts and then immediately after that you see chapter Y have, like, five. I dunno how else to really explain it, but keep in mind that the next chapter also occurs on the same day as this one.**

 **So another thing I wanted to bring up. I know these chapters haven't really been pushing the plot forward, and I know some people are probably pretty bored with these, but fear not, we're getting there. _Good things come to those who wait_ as the saying goes.**

 **With all that said, I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter, or if you didn't, please consider sticking around for a little longer! The rest of the story isn't going to be everyone going to the mall, I promise you! As always, feel free to review if you'd like, and I hope you'll like the next chapter as well. Until then! :)**


	16. All or Nothing

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT IN AUTHOR'S NOTES.**

* * *

Naminé stepped out from behind a curtain of cloth that she used to slip on her new halter one-piece galaxy print swimsuit in secrecy. Despite the fact that it fit her to a T, she began to feel a little self-conscious about how much skin the outfit revealed. She reminded herself that there would be less than ten people on the beach, but that barely did anything to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly having regrets now when she was completely fine with her swimsuit when she first tried it on. Maybe it was because now she was actually going to wear it in front of people, which made her a bit bashful thinking about going out in it. Maybe she should've picked something else...

Her head snapped to the entrance of the tree house she resided in as she heard someone wolf-whistle loudly. Standing right outside the entry was a smirking Selphie in a citrus yellow microkini, showing off more than Naminé ever dared to even imagine.

"Lookin' pretty sexy," she boldly remarked, the comment causing the blonde to blush in embarrassment.

"Eh, I dunno. I feel like I'm sorta showin' a little too much, y'know?" she confessed.

"You kiddin' me? Man, you aren't showin' ENOUGH! 'Sides, you got the perfect body to rock one of these babies no sweat," the brunette complimented.

"That's really nice of you to say, but bikinis aren't really my thing..."

Selphie shrugged. "Too bad. Trust me, if you were on the beach on the main island wearin' a two-piece, you'd have **all** the boys linin' up for miles tryin' ta get a peek."

"Mm, I dunno about that," Naminé said as she walked out of the tree house, the girls beginning to make their way down to the shore where everyone else had already started to enjoy themselves.

The blonde became instantaneously flustered upon gazing at Riku's sensual well-built body as she had yesterday; the girl diverting her eyes as to prevent herself from looking like a ripe strawberry in the summer.

"Hey, lookin' good, Naminé," Kairi noted before she hit the beach ball back to Tidus; the boy struggling to reach it before Riku, who was on Wakka's team.

"Get it, Tidus!"

"C'mon, Riku!"

They simultaneously dove beneath an oncoming wave and then resurfaced from the aquamarine ocean, hastily shaking their heads to rid themselves of the salty water before they opened their eyes and recklessly threw themselves at the ball in hopes that one of them would be able to grab it before the other. Unfortunately, in their rush to seize the ball, they didn't take into account the distance from the other; a dull thud being heard as the boys' head collided into one another's.

Everyone watching flinched in unison at the scene, all knowing that it would result in a nasty, painful bruise later on. It wasn't until an alarming amount of blood started trickling down from their foreheads did they suddenly realize the severity of the collision.

"Oh, Jesus, we gotta get you ta da docta's!" Wakka exclaimed, automatically going into his big brother mode.

"We're fine, Wakka, it's only a little blood," Riku assured, gingerly touching his wound to assess the damage himself. Instead of the small blotches he had expected, he was met with the sight of his fingertips completely smeared in the deep crimson liquid.

Tidus looked up at Riku, seeing for himself the amount of damage the older boy had taken. "I dunno, that's a lot of blood... I think we should go just in case."

This time it was Riku who looked at the younger boy, his usually placid eyes widening a bit in surprise. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt," he finally gave in.

With that being said, the boys all piled into the orange-haired teens boat and headed to the main island, the ladies wishing them well before they went.

"Oy, that's gotta hurt like a bitch," Selphie remarked once the redhead made her way onto the coast.

"Yup, you said it," Kairi concurred.

Naminé nodded in agreement, hoping the injuries weren't too major or life-threatening.

"Welp, guess it's just us girls for now. Oh, right, Roxas is here, too. Guess that makes it a harem, then." the brunette smirked.

"Hey, where is he, anyway?" the blonde asked, suddenly aware that he was nowhere in sight.

"He's changing in the shack," the auburn-haired girl answered.

"Oh, okay. I'm gonna check and see if he's ready."

"Got it," Kairi said, giving her a thumbs up.

When the teen entered the shack, Selphie suddenly broke out in a wide, flushed grin.

"Whatcha smilin' for?" her friend asked, smirking as she had an idea of what the cause of that cheeky grin was.

"Oh, you **know** why I'm smilin'," the girl shot back, confirming her suspicions.

"You can't ever just like a guy without wantin' to fuck him, can you?"

"He has a fucking tattoo, Kai. A T-A-T-O-O."

"It's T-A-T- **T** -O-O."

"Whatever, you know what I mean. And you damn well know that's one of my weaknesses."

"Yeah, I know: guys that are shy, guys with tattoos, and, last but certainly not least, guys who can soul kiss the fuck out of someone," she recited. "I've said it before, Selph, and I'mma say it again: you've got to be one of, if not the, horniest person I've ever met."

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"I'm just sayin' when the day comes that you find out you have AIDS, I'm just gonna say 'It's about time.' "

"See, this. This is why everyone says you're the nice one in the group. You're just a precious ball of sunshine, aren'tcha?"

"I'm definitely the brightest out of all of us, that's for damn sure."

"Says the bitch that got a fuckin' D on the first Geometry test of the year."

"...Shut up."

"At once, O wise one."

* * *

"Kaiiiriiiii..." Selphie whined sotto voce, her tone nearly overflowing with unbridled excitement.

The redhead sighed. "What is it now?"

"He's so fucking hoooot," she gushed, loving the way the light bounced off the quiet boy's soft skin just right as he swam after yet another runaway ball, making him seem all the more alluring if that were even possible.

"Yeah, I know, you've said it forty fuckin' times. I think it's clear to all of us that you wanna fuck him at this point."

" **Hard** ," the brunette frighteningly added.

"Man, the love bug got you good, didn't it?" she teased.

"Oh, you have no idea."

The claret-haired girl shook her head empathetically, remembering when she, too, was a sentient heap of hormones walking around in a skin suit. "Ah, I can just tell when we get back to school, you're gonna be givin' a BJ to every guy that comes across your fuckin' path."

"Damn right, I will," Selphie firmly stated.

"And I wouldn't even be surprised if you actually did," Kairi said, giving a low chuckle at the end of her sentence.

* * *

Unconsciously pulling the front of her swimsuit up for the thirtieth time, Naminé positioned herself exactly where she expected the ball to land before she ardently struck it, passing it over to Selphie. It smacked the unsuspecting girl on the head as she was staring off somewhere else in the distance, bringing her back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, right, we still playin'," she reminded herself.

Kairi gave a smug smirk. "Jeez, what the hell've you been smokin'?"

"Be quiet," the brunette growled, diving for the ball as it suddenly came speeding a few feet in front of her.

"Hey, Selph, is the game gettin' kinda boring to ya?" the redhead asked.

"Kinda, yeah. Hey, you guys still wanna play or do ya wanna do somethin' else?" Selphie asked after emerging out of the waves, turning to the pair.

"Doin' somethin' else would be kinda nice," Naminé answered, Roxas agreeing with her decision with a nod of his head.

"All right, so now we just gotta think of what to do now..."

"I kinda wanna go check up on Riku and Tidus, see how they're doin'," the youngest girl suggested.

"Yeah, I'm a little worried about them, too. Hopefully they don't have to spend the night there, 'cause I got a little feelin' that their parents would be more pissed than concerned."

* * *

"So they didn't give you any stitches?" Selphie asked Riku as all seven of them walked out of the hospital.

The silver-haired teen shook his head. "They said we didn't need it. The wound's supposed to heal itself in a couple days, so stitchin' it would just be a waste of money."

"Money we don't have," Tidus grumbled.

"Well, as long as you're okay then that's all that matters," Kairi chirped.

"Hey, but be more careful next time, ya?" Wakka added.

"We'll try, but no guarantees," Tidus cheekily smiled.

The orange-haired teen was about to rebuke the boy's comment, but then stopped himself from doing so as he decided to cut him some slack. He had just come out of the hospital, after all.

"Whateva, brudda. Just try not ta hit ya head more than ya already have," he joked, ruffling Tidus' hair in a brotherly manner, chuckling as the sandy-blond boy childishly protested.

"Did ya tell Sora what happened?" Kairi asked both boys.

"Yeah, I told him. As expected he freaked the fuck out," Riku answered.

"Did ya tell him that it wasn't serious?"

"I dunno, lemme check," he replied, withdrawing his black phone from his baggy jeans. He punched in his password and swiped the screen a couple times before found the messages icon. He then held it out to Kairi who took it and began examining the text in blue and green speech bubbles.

"Well no shit he freaked out, all you said was 'I'm in the hospital'!" she revealed, shoving the phone back into his hands.

"Oh, guess I forgot to send the rest," he said.

"Well tell him now instead of making him m-"

"Just did," the gray-haired teen informed just as his thumb hit send. Kairi momentarily shot him an annoyed look for interrupting her.

"Hey, I dunno about you guys, but I'm gettin' kinda hungry. We should go get some food soon," Tidus suggested.

"We ate, like, three hours ago," Selphie mentioned.

"You did, but I didn't. I overslept, remember?" he reminded.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Kairi asked.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then you can wait another or or two, can't you?"

"I mean, I guess... So are we goin' back to the islands or no?"

"You can go if you want, but me and Selphie are gonna give Naminé and Roxas a mini tour of the islands."

"Since when did we agree to do this tour exactly?" Selphie asked, turning to Kairi with a questioning look on her face.

"Since I said so," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Normally I'd say somethin' against it, but knowing you, it'd probably be pointless."

"I see you've learned your lesson."

"All right, so I'mma go back to the islands. Have fun guys," Tidus said, turning on his heel to head towards the dock. "Oh, wait, I left my boat at the island..." He sheepishly turned to Wakka. "Hey, can you give me a lift?"

"I need to get my boat, too," Riku added.

The oldest teen dubiously ran his fingers through his hair. "Ai, I promised Lu I'd go wid her and Yuna to da mall 'round noon."

Tidus immediately perked up a bit upon hearing the heterochromatic girl's name. "Yuna's goin'?"

"Yeah, and ya know how Lu can be, so I don't wanna be late."

" 'Sides, I don't think you'll get the chance to ask her out with her sister around," Riku stated.

The blushing sandy-blond elbowed the smirking silver-haired teen harshly, making him groan in pain from the hit.

"Ah, I guess I can go now since I got time, but we gotta be fast," Wakka finally answered urgently.

The boys curtly nodded before they all took off in a hurry against time.

"All right, guess that's that then. Let's get this field trip started, yeah?" Kairi said, clasping her hand together as she commenced the tour.

"It'll be, like, an hour tops, I guarantee it," Selphie told Naminé.

"Excuse me, Selphie, is there something you would like to say to the class?" Kairi asked, staring at her friend as if daring her to talk back.

"No, Ms. Powers," the brunette answered monotonously.

"That's what I thought. All right, now without further ado, let's get goin'."

* * *

Naminé stopped dead in her tracks as soon as her eye caught a row of humongous gray Husky plushies hanging from the eaves of a wooden red-and-white vertically striped booth. She stared at the giant stuffed toy in awe, wanting to forever hold the cuddly thing in her arms until the end of her natural days.

"I want it," she stated resolutely, catching the attention of the entire group as they were a few feet in front of her.

Kairi glanced up at the stuffed dogs on display then took a look at the game they needed to beat in order to acquire said toy. "Eesh, I dunno, Naminé, it's ring toss. It's probably rigged or somethin'."

"I want it," she repeated stubbornly.

"Well if she wants it so badly, then it couldn't hurt to try, right?" Selphie reasoned, reaching into her front pocket and pulling out a disheveled stash of bills. She was somehow able to differentiate a five from the disorganized pile and gave it to the torpid teen who apathetically took it and reached down in front of him to retrieve five blue rings from a rectangular plastic container.

"Good luck," he said to the brunette soullessly.

"Thanks," she replied as she grabbed one of the hoops, unperturbed by the boy's lifeless tone. She narrowed her eyes at a particular bottle, focused on it, and threw the halo using a sidearm technique. It bounced of the rim of the glass bottle and landed inbetween two in the sixth row.

"How many do you have to get to win the Husky?" Naminé asked the carny as Selphie swore under her breath and began to reach for another plastic band.

"All five," he blankly responded.

"All of them?!" she gasped. "Has anyone ever done it?"

"Yeah, one time."

"Really?"

"No," he cruelly smirked, revealing the first sign of emotion he's shown all day.

"Oh... Is it possible to win?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not."

 _Clink!_

"FUCK!"

"Selphie, be quiet, there's children here," Kairi scolded.

"So what? They're gonna hear it eventually."

"Yeah, but they're gonna be repeatin' it."

"Oh, right."

"Just continue playin', but with less audible swearing."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n," Selphie saluted.

"...I can't hear you," the redhead said barely above a whisper, the corners of her lips twitching upwards.

"AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!" the brunette screeched, receiving confused and mildly irritated looks as they snickered.

"You know I had to," the auburn-haired smiled.

"Well, you know I'd be doin' the same thing," her friend responded.

"All right, you got two more left. Don't screw it up," Kairi ordered.

"Got it," Selphie replied, aiming for a bottle in the middle of the cluster to increase her chances of winning. She narrowed her eyes once more in concentration and strategically flicked the ring. It ricocheted off the bottle like it had done before, but this time it actually worked to her advantage as it daringly landed tilted on the mouth of one of the outermost bottles.

"HELL YEAH!" the fiery brunette roared, her voice sounding masculine as it deepened by at least two octaves.

"All right, Selph!" her redheaded friend cheered, giving her a hearty high five.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but that doesn't count," the boy suddenly chimed in, interrupting their celebration.

"How does that not count?! It's on the bottle, isn't it? I don't see any rule that says it can't count if it bounced off a bottle!" Selphie vehemently defended, glaring at the carny.

"But there is a rule that says the ring has to be all the way on the rim in order for it to count as a point," he coolly countered, smugly crossing his arms.

"And where does it exactly say that?" the brunette challenged.

The teen pointed to a sign tacked to the support beam on Selphie's left. "It's right there, but I doubt you're able to read, so I'll do it for you: 'In order for the ring to qualify as a point, it must be around the rim of the bottle **ALL THE WAY**!' " He finished, that self-satisfied look on his face infuriating the girl right down to her core.

"Oh, I'm gonna wipe that fucking smug ass grin of yours right off your fucking face!" she fervidly threatened, beginning to climb over to the inside of the booth until Kairi grabbed hold of the back of her orange shirt, and yanked her back with surprisingly powerful strength.

"Listen, I wanna kick his ass, too, but you only have one more left. Just get it over with so we don't have to see this fucker again," the redhead reasoned, throwing the boy a death glare who just continued to superciliously smile back at her.

"Ugh, fine," the brown-haired girl huffed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. She lazily picked up the ring, and without a hint of regret, flung it at the teen's face with full force; the boy cursing as it struck him on the bridge of his nose. A flush of anger was momentarily visible on his face before he regained his composure and instead flicked them off, one middle finger for each girl.

"Let's bounce," Kairi said, turning away from the despicable boy. The blonde longingly looked up at the giant dog before she began walking away with the girls, yearning in her deep indigo eyes.

"But I really want it..." Roxas heard her murmur under her breath, prompting him to break his normally silent demeanor.

"Hey, Selphie, mind givin' me a five for the game?" he asked, stunning the entire group as this was one of the only times he'd spoken out of his own volition.

"Uh, yeah, sure," the girl answered, rummaging through her pocket once more for the money. "Do me a favor and throw it at his nuts if he starts talkin' shit, yeah?" she requested as she handed him the five dollars.

"Where else would I aim for?" he smirked as he took the bill.

"My thoughts exactly," she smirked back before turning to Naminé. "Hey, wanna go with me and Kai? We're just gonna go walkin' around the fair for a bit then we'll meet up 'round here."

"Nah, I'm good, you guys go 'head," she declined.

" 'Kay, see ya in a bit," the brunette smiled as she and Kairi strolled off.

"You think you can make it?" the flaxen-haired girl asked him as he handed the money over to the bitter carny.

"I dunno, maybe," he shrugged, the girl cocking her head in confusion before she caught on.

"All right," she causally dismissed, internally ecstatic over her soon-to-be toy.

"Good luck," the teen robotically said, not even looking in the boy's direction as he spotted a herd of curvy young women approaching the boardwalk.

Not even two seconds later Roxas was already on his last ring, causing even the soulless teen's silver eyes to grow a little in admiration.

"Not bad," he observed. "You might actually win this rigged piece of shit game."

"Only one more," the platinum-haired blonde encouraged, her hands tingling as they were ready to feel the soft, cottony, plush texture of the stuffed animal.

The spiky-haired blond selected a glass in the upper left corner of the batch as his bottle of choice, chucking the ring with such extreme precision it was almost as if he'd practiced the procedure his whole life. He was going to win that behemoth sized prize for her, make no mistake about it. It was the least he could do considering his recent failures of as of lately.

He was obviously aware that it wouldn't make up for everything he's been unsuccessful at so far, but it was the first step in the right direction. All he had to do was win, which he couldn't imagine would be rather difficult as all of his other shots had been executed flawlessly, for he was built to be virtually infallible.

As the ring slowly came down upon the rim he realized that he had miscalculated the ring's momentum. The way the band was spinning it'd hit the lip of the bottle, and then go flying off in the opposite direction. He was going to miss. Of course he'd miss. He somehow always found a way to fail at even the most mediocre of tasks. No wonder she preferred to be around them instead of him.

They were competent in bringing her joy, he was not.

Naminé's face dropped from enthusiastic to disappointed as the ring bounced off the bottle just as Roxas had predicted. "Aw, what? No, we were so close!"

The teen sighed. "Too bad. Guess you're not gettin' that dog, after all."

The girl held a plaintive look on her face for a few seconds before she quickly shook it off. "Well, you can't win 'em all. C'mon, let's go walk around for a bit," she proposed, waiting for the boy to follow her as she began to walk away. Instead he stood there, unmoving, as if he was in a daze.

"Hey, c'mon, let's go," she repeated, turning to him with a mildly concerned look. She saw his eyes flicker over from the toy to the direction where Selphie and Kairi went.

"I know I can do it. I just need another chance," he said, beginning to tail the girls' trail.

"I'm tellin' you, it's fine. It's just a toy after all, just forget about it," she persuaded, confused as to why he was so fixed on getting the prize.

"I can get it this time, I'm sure of it," he adamantly replied, the blonde picking up a small sense of urgency in his voice.

"Roxas, it's not a big deal. Besides, I'd sorta feel bad if we asked Selphie for more money," she said, becoming all the more perplexed and a bit worried over his abnormal behavior.

"Getting the toy would make you happy, correct?" he unexpectedly asked.

"Uh, yeah...?" she answered, giving him a quizzical look. "Your point being?"

"If it makes you happy, then I'll get it for you."

"Aw, well aren't you two just the cutest?" the carny rudely butt in, resting his chin in the palm of his left hand as he leaned over the counter with his elbow. "But as much as it pains me to cut this short, there's a swarm of scantily clad ladies coming this way. So I'll ask as nicely as I can to please vacate the premises," he said, flashing a lofty goody two shoes smile.

"Yeah, sure," Naminé said, the both of them moving to a more secluded section of the boardwalk to continue their conversation. "Look, let's just find them so we can go; I'm tired as hell."

"I'm going to get you that toy."

"Why do you care so much? It's just a fucking toy!"

"Because it'll make you happy."

"Okay, so why are you so hellbent on making me happy? I know it's one of the things you're meant to do, but why now all of a sudden does it matter so much to you?" the blonde asked, lowering her voice as she said the last sentence.

"Because then you'll see that I'm still somewhat useful to you."

She furrowed her eyebrows deeply, bewildered by the statement. " 'Useful'? Whatever made you think you weren't useful? ...Was it because of me? Was it my fault?"

"Of course not," he assured her. "It's my fault."

"How is it your fault? You've done nothing wrong."

"No, I have. For a while now I've haven't been successful at meeting expectations, and that is unacceptable. I was hoping by winning the prize for you I'd rede-"

"Hold on, lemme get this straight. From what you're saying, you feel like...you're not good enough?"

Roxas gave a short nod.

"But why? Well, I know you just said it was 'cause you weren't meeting expectations or somethin', but what expectations are you talkin' about?"

"The purposes I was meant to fulfill; namely making you happy."

"But I already am. Goin' out with everyone makes me... No, wait, that's not what you're talkin' about. You're talkin' about **you** makin' me happy. But why do you feel like you aren't doin' that?"

"Because when I noticed that you smile and talk a lot more with everyone else, I came to the conclusion that they make you feel happier than you do with me."

"Well, of course I enjoy being around them, but that doesn't mean that I don't like being around you, too. Do you honestly think that I'm that horrible of a person to just abandoned y..." she trailed off, beginning to think back to all of their interactions since they've gotten on the islands up until now. Thinking about it now, they actually haven't been talking as much as they used to, have they? She's been talking to everyone else except him for a majority of the time they've spent here. God, how could she have been so selfish that she didn't even stop and think for once about how he felt?

"...I have been ignoring you, haven't I? I guess I really am that horrible..." she mumbled with a sad smile.

"No, you aren't-"

"Yes, I am!" she suddenly snapped at him, becoming angry at herself for not even realizing her mistake; guilt beginning to fester inside her heart. "It's my fault that you feel this way! You've been so kind and considerate to me, and all I've ever done is make you feel worthless..."

"I can assure you that you've never made me feel like that. It's not because of you, I promise. I've just been letting my insecurities get the better of me."

"That doesn't change the fact that I made you feel like you weren't good enough..."

"I've told you before; that isn't true. It's my own fault."

"Still, I'm sorry I've been ignoring you. I didn't mean to make it seem like I was pushing you away or anythin'."

"It's okay, and I'm sorry that I made you worry."

"You don't have to apologize for that, I always overreact to things, anyways..." she sheepishly smiled. "Let's actually get goin' this time; I just wanna go to bed."

* * *

"All right, so we'll see ya guys tomorrow," the claret-haired girl said as she and her friend dropped off the light-haired duo at the brunette's doorstep.

"See ya," the replied in unison. Upon entering Sora's home they were immediately happily welcomed back by Lady, who'd just so happened to be eating her puppy chow in the kitchen when the two came in.

"Hi, Lady!" the blonde affectionately greeted as she squatted down to stroke the small canine's back. In return she expressed her happiness by licking the girl's arm, making her giggle with glee. Naminé sat down cross-legged so the puppy could settle into her lap, which is exactly what Lady did. After a few moments of an endless cycle of love and attention from both human and dog she heard a door open from upstairs and then footfalls jogging down the wooden steps.

"Hey, long time no see. So how'd your second day go?" Sora asked as he ambled over to the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge. Naminé also noted his black cargo shorts with matching colored tank top displaying 'Make Love Not War'.

"Good, great, actually. How'd work go?"

"Well, there was this old guy in yellow spandex, but I don't really wanna talk about it... Oh, right, I was gonna ask you guys when you came back if ya wanted to watch a horror movie with me."

The girl's face grew wary when she heard the H-Word. "Horror? Mm, I dunno..."

"It's not gonna be anythin' super scary or graphic, don't worry. I was thinkin' maybe _The Shining_ would be a pretty good one to start off with. Have either of you ever seen it before?"

Naminé shook her head. "Nope, but I heard it's really good."

"Yeah, it's one of the best. And you?" he asked, addressing the golden-haired blond.

He too shook his head.

"All right, so it'll be brand new to you guys. I'm not gonna spoil it or anythin' but I'm tellin' ya, it's one of those films you **have** to see. So whaddya say? You up for it?"

The platinum-haired girl thought it over. He did say that it wasn't too graphic, and if she were to become frightened Roxas would be right there with her. Besides, she hasn't kicked back and watched a movie in ages, so why shouldn't see take him up of his offer?

"Yeah, sure," she finally answered, standing up from the floor where she sad been petting Lady while she talking to Sora. The Cocker Spaniel whined a little in complaint before she scampered over to the brunet, licking his ankles as she wanted the boy's attention.

"All right, I'll pop in the movie in a bit," he smiled, picking up the small pooch. He curiously sniffed her left side as he noticed a foreign odor coming from her. "Yeah, you're gonna need a bath, Lady," he said to her, setting her back down on the ground. She paid no attention to his comment as she vigorously shook her head, trotted a few feet away from the group, and began to lick her lady parts clean.

* * *

"Aw, c'mon, you gotta go now?" the brunette asked as the canine scratched at the front door whining. He sighed. "Fine."

He turned to Roxas and Naminé. "I'll be back in a bit, you two just keep enjoyin' the movie."

"Mm-hmm..." the blonde mumbled in reply, her eyes glued to Danny as he rode through different sections of the far-flung Overlook Hotel on his small tricycle. A couple minutes after the spiky-haired teen had left they heard the door open, which confused the girl as they haven't even been out for ten minutes yet. Surely it would've taken longer than that for Lady to do her business.

As they turned around expecting to see Sora and Lady, they instead saw a woman with long, straight brown hair and umber eyes presumably in her early to mid-thirties standing in the door way; the slightly perplexed look on her face mirroring Naminé's.

Awkward, tangible silence passed between the three before the elder woman drew in a soft, quick breath. "Oh, right! You're the new people Sora told me about! I'm sorry. I was a little confused for a second. I'm Lenne, Sora's mom," she quickly introduced herself with a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Naminé, and this is Roxas," she courteously replied, the boy echoing her former greeting.

"Nice to meet you two as well. I hope Sora's been doing a good job making sure the both of you feel welcome, yes?" she asked hopefully.

The girl vigorously nodded. "Of course. He's been nothing but kind to us."

Lenne heartily grinned with pride. "That's my boy. Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

"He should be outside with Lady," the pale blonde informed.

"Ah, okay. So, you're watchin' _The Shining_ , huh? Yeah, that's a real classic there. Lemme tell ya, that Kubrick really is somethin'. Anyways, I'll leave you two alone to enjoy the movie without my rambling. I'll be upstairs if you need anything," she said as she headed up to her bedroom, her knee-high brown boots making a satisfying _click-clack_ as they hit the steps of the wooden staircase one by one.

'She seems nice. I wonder where his dad is. Does he work full-time like her, too? Eh, I'll find out later, guess,' she thought to herself, bringing her attention back to the movie just as Danny stopped his tricycle to look back at room two hundred and thirty-seven.

* * *

"Wait, what? But why's he in the pic- wait, that's how it ends?!" Naminé exclaimed as the credits began to roll, utter bewilderment written all over her face as she turned to the brunet for confirmation.

"Yup. Creepy, huh?"

"But why was Jack in the picture? Oh my God, I have so many questions..."

Sora lightly chuckled at the girl's reaction. "Yeah, that part always gets everybody. To be honest with ya, I've watched this at least ten times, and I still understand that part. Maybe the book explains it; I dunno, I haven't read it yet."

"And what was with that one scene wither the guy in a bear costume blowing that old guy?"

The brown-haired boy shrugged. "I dunno, it's just sorta there like the directed tossed it in just for the hell of it."

The blonde began massaging her temples in great distress. "Hoooly shit, that movie just mindfucked me so hard..."

"So did you notice anythin' different in the scenes? Like things disappearing or changin'?"

Naminé shook her head. "No, I was too focused on the story to notice anythin' else."

"Ah, okay. So overall did you like it?"

"Yeah, definitely. The only thing I have to kinda complain about, but also not really complain about at the same time was the pacing. It was slow at times, but it also kinda worked to its advantage with the suspense and everything. That's another thing I really like about it. Like the suspense was so well-played it was almost suffocating. I really like how it kept me on the edge of my seat almost constantly, it was great."

"Mm-hmm, I loved that, too. I think that's why I always watch it every now and then. And what about you? Did ya like it?" Sora asked as he turned to Roxas expectantly.

"Yeah, I really like how the director added all the little things happenin' in the background. Like when Danny was playing with his toys on the ground, then in the next shot he moved diagonally from where he was before, and then it switched back to the original shot, and he's right back where he was. That part was really cool," he commented, surprising the girl for the third time today.

"I know, right?! It's so cool!" Sora exclaimed as he continued to gush about the film like the fanatic he was, which the girl found absolutely irresistible.

Once the boy was done with his long-winded speech, he decided it was time for him to hit the hay early as he knew he had the morning shift tomorrow. However, before that, he had to take Lady out one last time for the night. The girl, too, choose to call it a day, and with that they said good night to the cobalt-eyed brunet before they went up to their bedroom.

"Hey, you actually said more than three sentences today. Congrats," the pale blonde remarked as she opened the door to their room. "Maybe we should have a mini celebration or somethin' like that," she suggested, turning to him for his input on the matter.

Instead he murmured something that completely threw her for a loop as he brushed past her in the doorway, his voice so low she wasn't entirely sure whether he actually said it or if she just imagined it.

' _Don't get too attached to them_ '? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why not? They're all so nice to us, so why wouldn't I feel inclined to trust them? Sora even gave us a place to stay, so it only makes sense to, after all,' she thought to herself, hesitating a bit before she joined the blond, closing the door shut behind her.

* * *

In the early hours of dawn Roxas soundlessly rolled out of bed, and slinked into the inky black bathroom after he was certain that Naminé was in deep sleep. Wanting to check if his pharyngeal reflex worked if he triggered it manually, he lodged his middle and index fingers as far back into his throat as he could until he felt the pancakes he had eaten earlier, now liquefied thanks to the acid that was stored in his body, eject from his stomach; quickly removing his fingers before he regurgitated into the sink. The acid, not being strong enough to scathe the marble, went down the drain without accident.

He made sure to remove any trace of the melted breakfast by first rinsing the sink clean with water, and then, as a precautionary measure, coating it with a bottle of bleach he found underneath the sink. He drank a bit of the cleanser himself, spit it out, and then rinsed with some water just in case he'd missed some extra contents.

Once he was finished, he put the bleach back inside the wooden cabinet, fixed the door exactly the way it was before he entered the bathroom, and silently slipped back into bed.

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Spongebob Squarepants, Final Fantasy X-2, nor _The Shining_ or its characters.**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **First off, my sincerest apologies for putting a fucking Spongebob joke in there. I've been listening to "Gary Come Home" on a loop for a while now, and I don't care what you're opinion of Spongebob is, but that song is worthy of being put on the radio.**

 **Anyways, I digress. Lemme get to the actual things I wanted to say. So we got some drama today, WOO-HOO! And like most of the times when I write those types of scenes, I feel like I could've written it _way_ better, but I guess I'll just have to see what you guys think about it. Also, yes, I had to put _The Shining_ in there as their scary movie to watch. I think the rule is after 10 or so years after the movie comes out it's okay to spoil it, right? Yeah, that sounds about right. If you haven't seen it yet, I still suggest you give it a try seeing as it's only a week from Halloween, my favorite holiday, where I am. Regardless if you celebrate it or not, I hope you still have a fun spoopy time.**

 **So anyways, about that announcement, here it is: _ He Came in a Box_ will hereby be on a temporary hiatus, and all though no predetermined date has been decided yet, it will be returning before the end of 2016. I'm really sorry that this came out of nowhere, but I hope you can understand that writing takes a lot of time actually, and since school has started my time has been sort of limited as of lately. However, I will admit that the main reason for this intermission is due to my own procrastination. I know that, and I'm not going to deny it or pretend that it wasn't my fault, because it is. I don't tend to spend my time wisely as I should be, but I'm going to change that.**

 **And for those that are reading this after 2016 or after the series has been completed, this doesn't affect you in anyway, so hey, that's pretty nice, ain't it? No waiting for you guys, y'all get a free VIP pass to the next chapter.**

 **But yes, once again I'm sorry for those who have to wait for the next part. I hope you can be patient enough with me and stick around. Thanks if you've read all of this, and if you haven't, thanks for reading the chapter either way. You fucking rock. So, until we met again! _À plus!_**


	17. We Need to Talk

"Damn, how are you so good?" Riku asked Roxas just as the announcer declared the ending of the match in his deep, sonorous voice.

"I used to play this a lot with some friends," the blond answered, relaxing his grip on Sora's GameCube controller which the brunet generously let him borrow.

"You ever had any tourneys where you're from?"

"Yeah, but I only went 'cause my friend went to 'em all the time. I never participated in any competitive matches, though, I just played a couple friendlies while I was there."

"Ah, okay. Still, good game," the silver-haired teen said, extending his hand out to him.

"Good game," the spiky-haired blond replied, shaking his hand.

" 'Good game'?! You got totally bodied!" Tidus snickered as Riku handed the controller over to an eager Sora.

The older teen scoffed at the comment. "Look who's talkin'. Need I remind you that you **still** haven't won a single match yet?" he reminded, automatically shutting the boy up. "Uh-huh, that's what I thought. Talk shit, get hit," he finished, triumphantly sitting to Kairi's left on Sora's bed.

"Damn, Tidus, you gonna take that?" the redhead instigated, turning to her right to face the boy.

"Hell no, I won't!" he exclaimed, his pride refusing to back down after his friend's declaration of war. "Next round: me and you; three stocks, two minutes. Winner gets to call the loser their bitch for the whole school year."

Riku quirked a silver eyebrow. "You sure you wanna do that? You haven't won once, and now suddenly you're gonna kick my ass?"

The sandy-blond firmly nodded, confidence burning in his youthful sky-blue eyes.

The teen shrugged. "All right, bet. Wanna make it a money match while we're at it?"

Tidus shook his head. "Don't have any money, and knowing your broke-ass, I know you don't, either."

"Touché," Riku smirked, glancing over at the screen. Already both Sora and Roxas, Sora as Mario and Roxas as Link, had only one life left with only thirteen seconds to spare.

Link used his spin attack just as Mario was about to grab him, upping the mustached man's damage to a staggering one hundred twelve percent. With Link's imposing fifty-three percent, it seemed like it was all over for Mushroom Kingdom's favorite red-capped hero.

Just as all hope seemed to be lost, a resplendent orb suddenly floated from off screen. Could it be...? Yes, it was! It was the key that could turn the tables for the compact Koopa-crushing machine: the Smash Emblem!

Mario knew he had two choices: either he could risk getting KO'd if he were to go for the ball above Hyrule's legendary warrior, or he could let Link obtain the emblem and hope that somehow be able to avoid his devastating Final Smash.

No, if there was a time to give it all he's got, it was now. It was do or die.

Courageously, the plump plumber ran towards the silent Hylian, double-jumping with surprising agility just as the boy's boomerang shot out, narrowly missing his brown boots by a hair's width.

The small brunet wailed in the chameleon-like orb, breaking it on the very last hit of his combo.

This was it. He could see Link out of the corner of his eye preparing his Upwards Thrust attack, but both of them knew it was a pitiful last ditch effort.

Mario could feel the overwhelming power of the Smash Ball pervade his veins, making him forget about his alarmingly high chance of being killed as it all seemed irrelevant to him now.

However, a small nagging thought ate him, preventing him from fully enjoying the extent of his newfound boost of power: he wasn't entirely sure if the Final Smash alone would be enough to do the trick. If he were to dodge it...

It didn't matter. He didn't have the time for that kind of thinking.

It was all or nothing.

With his entire body fervently ablaze in a lively array of light, his clothes couldn't help but burst into flames; his once baby blue eyes now glowing a brilliant pale yellow, further showcasing the potential he now possessed.

Fueled by his ingrained determination to win, he activated his newfound powers and skillfully channeled all of his energy into the palm of his hands, swiftly bringing his wrists together in a semi-circle formation. He thrust his hands forward, extending his arms out as far as he could as a terrifying reddish-white streak of light blasted out of his hands, completely disintegrating his white gloves.

Link stood there, paralyzed; amazed and yet petrified at such awesome power as it voraciously advanced towards him. As for Mario, a dirty smirk appeared on his round face as he could practically taste the divine wine of vic-

"Game!"

"Aw, what?" Sora exclaimed in protest as the timer reached zero, not even aware of the audible five second countdown that preceded it. "Man, that was brutal, but that was a good match! It was like you could read my mind or somethin'. You sure you've never played competitive?"

"Positive, but you were pretty good, too."

"Thanks," he beamed, the two getting off the foot of the brunet's bed as Riku and Tidus took their spots.

"Let's just get this over with, Paine wants me over at her place to her help her with some party."

"Party? For what?" the brown-haired boy asked as he sat next to Kairi's left so he wouldn't block her view of the match even though she was clearly much more invested in texting her ill friend.

"She's turning twenty-one today, so she invited all her fuckin' friends and all their college friends to her place so they can get wasted as hell."

"So why is she makin' you help her and not her friends?" Tidus asked as he selected Meta Knight.

"I dunno, but she said she'll give me thirty bucks for it, so I'm not complainin'," he shrugged, picking Lucario before he choose a random arena.

"D'ya think she'll pay me if I help, too?" Sora asked.

"I dunno, maybe. I'll ask her after I'm done with the match"

"Cool, thanks."

While the boys went head-to-head in their game of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Naminé held a pensive look on her young face as she lightly stroked Lady who was comfortably resting in the girl's lap.

The words Roxas said earlier kept ringing in her ears, and although she knew she should be happy, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit saddened by the news as well.

* * *

 _"Do we have all our items in the backpack?" Roxas asked out of the blue as Naminé stepped out of the bathroom wearing a short-sleeved bottle green peplum top with light blue skinny capri pants accompanied by her signature sky blue sandals._

 _"Uh, yeah, I think so. How come?"_

 _"We're leaving the islands today."_

 _She gave him a perplexed look. "What the hell do you mean we're leavin'? Doesn't it have to storm or somethin'?"_

 _"Yes, that's right, and I just overheard the weather forecast downstairs stating that we should expect a category three hurricane later on this evening."_

 _The platinum-blonde's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Jesus, that soon?! They didn't even warn us a few days in advance or anything!"_

 _"Apparently the satellites just picked up on the hurricane this morning."_

 _"So, what, it just formed overnight just like that?"  
_

 _He gave a curt nod. "It appears so, which is why we need to make sure we have everything we need."_

 _"I mean, I can double-check, but I don't think all the clothes are gonna be able to fit in..."_

 _"Then I'll just take my cloak and you decide which clothes you want to take."_

 _"Sounds good," she replied, despite the drop of sadness that began to suffuse in her heart._

* * *

"Hey, Naminé, can I talk with you for a sec?"

Said girl momentarily paused so she could collect her thoughts before she looked up at the redhead standing in front of her, expectantly staring back at her with eyes that mirrored the color of her own.

"Yeah, sure," she said, gently lifting the puppy, who let out a resounding groan of protest, off her lap before she stood up, brushed some of Lady's fur off her pants, and followed the girl out of the room.

Roxas' eyes flickered over to the slightly ajar door, his gaze lingering on it before he brought his attention back to the television just in time to see Lucario being crowned the winner to no one's surprise.

"Read it and weep, bitch," Riku arrogantly smirked as he saw the boy's face blanch. The silver-haired teen then took out his phone and began texting his cousin as he said he would, slumping over next to Sora. "All right, I just asked her, so now we just gotta wait."

"Got it. So are you gonna stay at her house for the party?"

"Nah, it'll be too loud; probably gonna give me a goddamn headache."

"C'mon, you might as well stay for a bit since you're already there," Sora advised.

"Hey, if you wanna go be my guest, but you know parties aren't my thing."

"I'm just sayin' you should consider it at least. You might actually have some fun, man."

"I dunno, maybe," Riku replied, looking down at his phone as he felt it buzz in his hand. "She said she's not payin' anyone else, sorry."

"Ah, it's no biggie," Sora smiled.

"All right, see ya later," the gray-haired teen said, pocketing his phone as he left the room.

"Oh shit, it's almost five?!" Tidus suddenly exclaimed as he checked his own phone. "Hey, man, I gotta go before my dad comes back from work. I'll see ya tomorrow," he hurriedly said, waving a quick goodbye to the spiky-haired duo before he bolted out the door.

"See ya," the brunet replied, turning off the console they'd been playing on for hours. He then turned to Roxas. "Hey, you hungry? I think we got some lasagna I can heat up in the oven."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks,"

"Ah, okay, if you say so. Anyways, let's go see what the girls are doin'," he suggested, already making his way over to the door, as did Roxas and Lady as well.

* * *

"So what didya wanna talk about?" Naminé asked as she and Kairi settled down on the brown leather couch located in the living room.

"It's about Roxas," the other girl answered, catching the blonde by surprise.

"What about him?" she asked, making sure to keep the anxiousness out of her voice.

"First off, I'm not gonna be talkin' shit about him in case you were wonderin'; I just wanted to ask somethin' about him."

"Yeah, go 'head."

"Does he like us? Like does he enjoy being around us? I mean, it's been, what, seventeen days since you guys got here, and he talks a lot more than he did before, but... I dunno, I just feel like I don't really know who he is as a person. Is it 'cause he just doesn't like us enough to open up, or...?"

"No, no, it's nothin' like that, trust me," the blonde assured, "he just...takes a while to open up, y'know? He's not tryin' to be rude on purpose or anythin', that's just how he is."

"Oh, good," Kairi smiled in relief.

"Yeah, he can kinda come off as that, but I assure you that's not the case," she replied, already planning on having on a talk with said boy after the conversation.

They heard someone run down the stairs and turned to find that it was Riku, who stole a peach from the fridge once he had reached the kitchen.

"Hey, so when's the party?" the redhead asked as the teen hastily tied his sneakers upon finding them undone.

"Around seven," he answered as he switched to his other shoe.

"You think Paine'll let us in?"

"It's just gonna be a buncha her friends drinkin' and fuckin' 'til they pass out. I don't wanna deal with your dad screamin' at me when he knocks on the door and sees you passed out on the floor with some twenty-year-old's tongue lodged halfway down your throat."

"Thanks for the vivid description, but will she let us in?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath, but I'll ask her while I'm on the way there," he responded as he stood up and walked to the door.

" 'Kay, thanks, and be careful. The clouds are startin' to get really dark," she observed, glancing outside the window in worry.

"I will. See ya guys later," Riku said.

"See ya," the girls replied in unison. With that he shut the door behind him, and the two were left alone to listen to the sound of the house creaking and the windows shuddering as the wind continued to ceaselessly pester the seaside village.

"Man, I'm startin' to think the news was right..." Kairi began, "Looks like we're actually gonna have a storm, and a big one by the looks of it. About fuckin' time, too. We haven't gotten a drop in weeks."

Naminé didn't say anything as she had her mind on more dismal thoughts at the moment. If they really were about to experience a storm, then that meant they had to leave. She knew it was bound to happen one of these days, but she had always pushed the thought away when it entered her mind every now and then. Now that that day had finally come, she didn't feel like she was ready to leave. She might even go as far as to say that she didn't **want** to leave.

"He likes you, y'know," she heard Kairi say, yanking her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Riku. He likes you," she reiterated.

Were her ears deceiving her? Did she really just say what she thought she said? She was fairly certain that that was what she actually said. Naminé's heart skipped a beat, and she had to check and see if she was still breathing before she dumbly replied, "Me?"

"Uh-huh. I heard him tell Sora yesterday. He said he thinks you're pretty cute and funny," she revealed, smirking at the girl's florid face.

The blonde tried to suppress the smile that so desperately wanted to blossom on her lips. "Really? But we haven't really talked to each other all that much."

"He just doesn't know what to say to you, like, how to ask you out, I mean. Sooo? You like him, too?"

"Um...kinda..." she admitted, feeling her hands beginning to shake a little as she confessed her liking towards the boy.

"Since when?" the auburn-haired teen prodded.

"Um, since I first saw him..."

"It's 'cause he's ripped as hell, isn't it?" she smirked knowingly.

Naminé diverted her eyes to focus on the girl's forehead. "No," she mumbled.

"Mm-hmm,sure. Well, anyways, if you wanna get the chance to know him better, you should come with me to the party. I dunno, if Sora's goin', and I doubt Tidus' parents will let him go, so I say tonight's gonna be your best shot if you wanna be alone together," she winked.

"And what about Wakka?" the fair-haired girl asked, brushing off the suggestive comment.

"Mm, I don't think so since his brother's really sick and all..."

"Oh, right, I forgot. How is he, by the way? Is he doin' any better?"

"Well, he didn't vomit any blood this mornin', so that's a good sign."

"Yeah, that is better. When's he supposed to be discharged again?"

"Next week, I think, but back to what we're talkin' about: d'ya wanna go?"

"Yeah, su-" She cut herself as she was reminded that they were supposed to depart that evening. "I mean, I'd like to, but..." The girl tried to come up with an excuse fast enough, but she was fresh out of ideas.

"But what?" Kairi pressed.

"It's just... I get really... nervous at parties, y'know?" she fibbed, hoping she'd buy the generic explanation.

"That's fine, I can totally help you with that," the redhead chirped. "No one said you had to be dancin' or anythin', you two can just be those adorable wallflowers keepin' each other company. How does that sound?"

'Perfect,' she wanted to say, but she knew that she'd only be giving herself false hope. "I dunno, maybe."

Kairi was about to suggest another alternate scenario until Tidus noisily stumbled down the steps, coming close to falling on his face multiple times as he made a beeline towards his sandals near the door.

"Bye, Kairi! Bye, Naminé!" he hurriedly said before he ripped the door open and practically threw himself out; the door shaking the entire house more than the wind did as it slammed shut.

"Bye...?" they answered quizzically despite the fact that he was already long gone by the time they opened their mouths.

"...Okay, so that happened," Kairi blinked, "But like I was sayin' earlier, I'll be there supporting you so you won't be so nervous, and I bet Sora and Roxas'll be more than happy to help, too."

"Listen, I really appreciate it, but I'm just not really up to it."

The claret-haired girl emitted a small disappointed sigh. "You sure? I mean, it's your call and all, but are you positive you don't wanna go?"

'Of course I wanna go!' she wanted to say, 'With all you guys having my back, I could ask him out even if the whole goddamn party was watching!'

"Yeah, I'm sure," she answered, feeling a certain uneasiness as she lied through her teeth for who knows how many times now.

The other teen simply shrugged. "All right, if you say so. Guess you can always hook up some other time."

'Oh, if only I could...'

For the third time in a row they heard footsteps coming down the stairs, now with the familiar twinkle of metal tags added to the mix.

"Hey, we got bored so we decided you pay you ladies a visit," Sora said, plopping down to Kairi's right while Roxas sat to Naminé's left.

"Well, we **were** just talkin' about somethin' 'til you interrupted us," the redhead snappishly responded.

" 'Bout what?" he ingenuously asked, oblivious to his friend's tone of voice.

"Should we tell 'em?" Kairi asked, turning to the blonde for her input.

"Yeah, I guess," she nonchalantly replied, getting up to grab a drink from the fridge.

"Alrighty then, lemme give ya a quick rundown of things before we talk about plans for the party..."

* * *

"C'mon, we'll only be there for, like, half an hour!" Naminé quietly pleaded, keeping her voice low so Sora and Kairi wouldn't overhear her through the walls.

"Whether we stay there for thirty minutes or five minutes is irrelevant," Roxas indifferently responded as he counted the remain amount of money that had left. "We've been here for far too long as it is."

"Well, we've still got a few more hours before it's supposed to hit, so we might as well go to the party."

"If we go to the party first and then head out to sea while the hurricane is occurring your chances of survival drop by almost ninety-five percent, which is why we're leaving before," he reasoned, zipping up the nearly bursting backpack.

"It'll be super quick, I swear!" she begged, clasping her hands together for emphasis. "Please!"

"Suppose we do go to the party, and after you two have talked to each other all goes according to plan, and you both emerge as a newfound couple. What then?"

"Whaddya mean what then?"

"Even if you two do get together we'd still be leaving tonight. There'd be no point in establishing a romantic relationship if you're never going to see the him again; ergo, attending the party would be fruitless waste of time."

The flaxen-haired teen girl pondered over his words. In the end, she couldn't deny his reasoning to be valid. Why even bother asking him when she'd never see him again after that? She might as well just have a one-sight stand or something.

"We should leave now. Someone's in the shower, and someone else is listening to loud music," Roxas said, heaving their knapsack on his shoulders before he walked over to the door and placed his hand on the metallic lever handle.

"...I don't want to go."

His head snapped to the girl sitting quietly on the foot of the bed with her head slightly bowed.

"You want to see your uncle, don't you?" he asked, already guessing her answer, but wanting her to confirm his prediction.

"Of course I do, but... I just... I dunno how else to say it without sounding crazy, but I feel like this place is a second home to me. There's just somethin' about it that doesn't make me wanna leave. I think it's actually everyone we've meet so far now that I think about it. They're just the type of people that kinda draw you in, y'know?"

"Either way we need to leave now while the probability of you surviving is in our favor," he urged her.

"I know, I know we should, but I just feel like we shouldn't, well, more like I don't feel like going. I really, really like it here, but I also really wanna see Uncle Ansem... Can I at least say goodbye before we leave?"

"If you did that they're going to ask why you're saying farewell. What are you going to tell them then?"

"Might as well tell 'em the truth. In fact, I should've told 'em ever since you told me. Now I feel like it was selfish of me to have kept that information to ourselves when they've been wanting to get off the islands ever since they were little. They deserve to know, don't they? I think it's only fair we tell 'em that much, right?"

"They're going to want to come with us."

"Then that's their choice. Besides, what was that one saying? Safety in numbers or somethin'? If they came with us we'd all be safer since we would have more people to watch our backs, and they'd be able to see other worlds, too. It's a win-win situation."

"...If you truly want to tell them, I suggest you do it now; quickly," he advised, opening the door and stepping out of their old room, the blonde trailing behind him and closing it shut behind her.

Naminé then went up and knocked on Sora's door which was to the right of theirs. "Um, hey, there's somethin' really, really important we need to tell you guys. Mind if we come in?"

Silence came from the other side of the door, making her cock her head in confusion.

"They can't hear you," Roxas reminded.

"Oh, right," the girl recalled, twisting the brass doorknob and pushing the door open.

They spotted Kairi sitting cross-legged in the middle of her friend's bed tapping her hands against the mattress to the catchy beat as she quietly hummed the song to herself. She took notice of the duo, and took out one of her ear buds.

"Hey," she smiled, taking note of Roxas in his cloak, which he hadn't worn for quite some time.

"Hi...Um, listen, I know this is sudden, but there's something **extremely** important we need to talk to you and Sora about," Naminé hastily began in an uncharacteristically grave tone, telling the redhead to pull out her other ear bud as what she was about to say demanded her full, undivided attention.

"All right, you've got my interest. He should be out any second now, so we won't have to wait long," she informed, turning her entire body to face the two. "So what the fuck is this extremely important thing anyways? Sounds pretty intense."

"We'll explain everything once Sora's here."

"Jesus, what's with the whole somber mood shit? You guys are startin' to scare me a lil', and how come you have your backpack with you?"

Just then Sora entered the room with a beige towel wrapped around his tan hips. No matter how many times she's seen him shirtless, the blonde knew she would never get used to the alluring sight that made her face burn hot like the tropical sun, and her legs feel like wet noodles.

"Hey, so Roxas and Naminé are sayin' that they need to talk about somethin' pretty important," Kairi notified the drenched brunet, water still dripping from his slightly droopy spikes.

"Yeah, sure, but can I put on some clothes first?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, go 'head," the blonde insisted, hoping no one would point out how red her face probably was.

" 'Kay, I'll be out in a sec," the boy said as he took his habiliments from his dresser and headed into the bathroom once more.

"Hey, Sora, you forgot your panties!" Kairi called as she took out a pair of black boxers from the brunet's bureau, strolling across the room as she handed them to her red-faced friend who mumbled a thanks in reply before shutting the door.

* * *

"...You're shittin' me, aren't you?" the auburn-haired teen asked suspiciously.

"I'm not, I swear to God," Naminé earnestly swore.

"Are you sure that's the way to do it? How d'ya know, anyways?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, how did you find out?" Kairi echoed, the brown-haired and cherry-haired teens staring at the girl expectantly.

"We, uh..." the blonde trailed off, racking her brain for a reasonable excuse.

"We pieced together the story you told us of Xehanort with how you got here, and we concluded that the hurricanes had something to do with how people entered and exited the islands," Roxas stepped in.

"That's what we thought, too, but we never got the chance to test out the theory," Sora remarked.

"Well, now may be that chance," the redhead began, turning to the boy with a mischievous smirk. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Yup. Looks like we got ourselves a storm to catch," he concurred, flashing his trademark toothy grin.

"Hey, send a text in the chat in case they wanna go, too."

"Will do," he affirmed, already reaching for his phone that was charging on his nightstand.

"Wait, that's it? You just wanna meet up with everyone and just leave? What about your parents? What about all your other friends?" Naminé asked the two, causing them to stop and think about their decision.

"...Well, I mean, it's not like we can **never** come back, right? And besides, it's not like we're gonna be gone for a whole year or somethin'," Kairi reasoned.

"But they'll be worried sick about you guys."

"...Mom and Lady would be pretty lonely without me, and money will probably be kinda tight, too..." Sora quietly admitted.

"And Mom and Dad will be pretty worried..." Kairi said. She suddenly held a determined look on her young face as she balled her hands into fists. "But even so I still want to go as badly as ever. I know it sounds really douchey of me, but goddamn it it's my dream; it's our dream! If we don't go now we'll probably never want to. I dunno 'bout you, Sora, but I'm still goin'. If you're stayin' could ya tell me parents I'm sorry?"

"Hey, if you go I go. We're in this together, remember? I'm sure our parents will do just fine without us. Oh, hold on, I need to do a quick thing before we go."

He got off his bed and retrieved a piece of lined paper and a black pen from his desk. He began to jot down a message to Lenne: saying that he was sorry for leaving without telling her, and that he wouldn't be gone for long. He then told her that she was a wonderful, loving person whom he's always looked up to, and that he couldn't ask for a better mother. Sora ended the letter saying that he loved her, and if she wanted to ground him for a whole year when he came back he wouldn't complain, but he eventually decided to scribble that part out as he didn't want to give her any ideas. Finally, he gave his sloppy signature at the bottom and drew a tiny smiley face next to his name.

" 'Kay, we're good now. I'm just gonna text 'em the message real quick, you guys head downstairs."

"Got it," the enthusiastic redhead chirped before she dashed out of the room and flew down the stairwell where her purple sneakers were waiting for her near the front door.

* * *

"We all ready?" Naminé asked as she turned to everyone standing behind her, her hand already partly turning the knob.

The teens gave an affirmative nod as they were prepared to face whatever dangers Mother Nature threw at them.

"All right. No turnin' back now," the blonde said as she opened the door. She came to find that there was no screen door to open as the wind had already ripped it off its hinges.

Up in the sky, it looked as though the thick, dark clouds were on the brink of bursting, and the ferocious wind threatened to blow the entire village away.

Just as they took their first steps outside they suddenly heard a child screaming to their right.

"Lilo?" the islanders gasped.

"STITCH?! STIIITCH?! WHERE ARE YOU?! STITCH?!" they heard her cry out in desperation moments before they saw her small stature bolt right in front of them.

"Hey, Lilo! What are you doin' out here; it's dangerous!" Kairi warned, but the girl kept running straight ahead.

"LILO!" they heard Nani yell far off in the distance, her voice suggesting that she's been trying to track her down for quite a while now.

"C'mon, let's go get her," Sora said as he dashed after the runaway child, the rest of the crew following soon afterwards.

It didn't take long to catch up to catch up to the tiny islander, but it was much harder to keep her in place as she always managed to wiggle out of their clutches like a crafty young mouse.

"Lilo, hey, look at me; you shouldn't be outside, okay? It's dangerous, you might get hurt," Sora tried to reason with her as he kneeled down and rested his hands on her shoulders in concern.

"But Stitch is out here somewhere! What if he gets hurt, too?" she asked, her dark chocolate eyes wide with terror.

"Stitch is a tough puppy, he'll survive, but right now you need to go back home with Nani."

"I'm not going back without him!" she doggedly declared, beginning to shake him off so she could continue searching for her beloved canine. Fortunately, Nani was right on time as she appeared just a few feet behind them, her eyes trained on the young child as she frantically attempted to flee.

"LILO!" her sister barked, making Sora and Naminé jump from the sudden loudness of her voice. "Get over here. Now."

"No!" the girl boldly yelled back, "I'm not going home until I find him!"

"Lilo..." Nani warned as she began to take long, intimidating strides towards her disobedient sister.

"I said I'm not going!" she stubbornly restated, defiantly glaring at the woman.

"I didn't ask if you wanted to go," she glared back at the girl, the siblings now mere inches from the other as they stared each other down, determined to stand their ground until the other gave up.

"Um, hey, Nani, we actually kinda have somewhere to be, so d'ya think you can handle it from here?" Sora asked, holding on to the girl's arm in case she tried to run away again.

"Yeah, I can handle it," she said without taking her eyes off Lilo.

" 'Kay," the brunet replied, letting go of her arm.

Just as she began to whirl around to dart off in the opposite direction Nani quickly scooped her up and tucked her under her arm, resisting the urge to curse as Lilo thrashed about, hitting some rather sensitive spots on her upper body.

Naminé felt bad for Nani as she walked away with her screaming sister in tow. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have to raise a child, manage a restaurant, and cope with the soul-crushing sadness of losing her parents all on her own. Ever since Sora had told her their story, she held a deep respect for Nani for being strong, and Lilo, too. God, she didn't even want to think about what the poor girl was going through. No child should ever have to deal with the grief of knowing that their parents weren't going to tuck them in and kiss them good night.

They were so strong, and meanwhile she was a mere porcelain doll; fragile, feeble, and oh-so easy to break. She wanted to change that about herself. She didn't know how, nor did she know if it was even possible, but she sure as hell was going to make it happen, mark her words.

* * *

"He should be comin' riiiiight abooooooooout...NOW!" the brunet yelled, eagerly looking up for a glimpse of his silver-haired friend. He sighed in disappointment upon seeing no sign of the teen.

"Man, he better get his ass here soon, the waves are gettin' kinda crazy..." Kairi noted as she worriedly eyed the wild, frantic seas.

"How you guys holdin' up?" Sora asked the light-haired pair who've been quiet the entire trip to the docks.

"I'm good..." Naminé shakily answered, sounding a bit uncertain of herself. She immediately scolded herself as she had just told herself that she was going to try to be stronger from then on.

"You don't really sound like it," the redhead pointed out, "but I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little scared myself."

"Who wouldn't be?" the mahogany-haired boy remarked.

"Amen to that," she concurred.

All eyes turned to the beginning of the wooden dock as they heard the sound of fast, pounding footfalls above the roar of the feral waves, finding the source of the noise to be none other than Riku.

"About time!" Kairi remarked as he came within hearing range.

"What do you...fucking...expect... I just came...from the other side...of the island," he panted. "So who's boat we takin'?" he asked after he had caught his breath.

"We're goin' in mine," the auburn-haired girl answered, "but I dunno if it's gonna hold up against the waves. We shoulda taken your dad's yacht instead."

"It would've taken too long, 'sides, I have no idea how to steer that thing."

"Well, let's hope the boat will be enough," Sora said, climbing into the rocky vessel and then helping everyone else in; the blonde feeling a tingle shoot up and down her spine when he briefly grabbed her hand.

"So everybody ready?" the blue-eyed brunet asked the teens as he stood up in the front of the boat to face them. "This is it. From here on out it'll only be the five us. If you changed your mind or you need to do somethin' else before we go now's the time to do it."

Silence.

"Goin' once... Going twice... Okay, let's get goin' then," he smiled, making his way over to the lower end of the boat before he grabbed the right oar. Riku took the one next to him, Roxas volunteered to control the upper left, and Kairi was in charge of the one adjacent to him. Naminé was left with the task of substituting if one of them were to get extremely tired or to keep them on board in case they almost go overboard.

"Damn, we're doin' it, we're actually gonna do this," Kairi breathed, smiling a little before she untied the rope connecting them to their home.

* * *

"Keep rowing!" Sora yelled over the deafening roar of wind and rain pelting the pitifully small ship.

"I can't see a damn fucking thing!" Riku yelled back at him as he fought the greedy sea for the wooden oar.

"I can't either! Just keep goin', we're almost there!"

Kairi squinted as she tried to make out the size of the next wave through the heavy pouring rain. Her eyes suddenly grew large at the frightful sight.

"Hey, guys, we got a big one!" she warned, making everyone turn to the monumental wave that was approaching them.

Naminé dropped Sora's shoe which she was using to scoop the water from inside the boat upon seeing the behemoth breaker.

"So whaddya say? Should we abandon ship?" the sea green-eyed boy asked as the intimidating roller drew ever-so nearer.

"I don't think we have a choice," the redhead replied, "we should go on three. Ready?"

"Let's do it," Sora firmly answered.

"Okay: one...two...THREE!"

They all jumped out of the boat in unison just as the white horse rammed into the substandard watercraft, smashing it into mere planks of wood.

The powerful undercurrent sent the teens tumbling, discombobulating them momentarily before they swam towards the surface.

"Everyone okay?!" the cherry-haired girl called after she gasped for air.

Sora conducted a quick head count. "Where's Naminé?"

Roxas immediately dove under the blood-warm waves for the missing girl as the rest of the group began calling out for her in a panic.

Below the surface, the golden-haired blond briskly scanned the aquamarine waters desperately, knowing that he had a limited amount of time to locate her. He soon spotted her alarmed figure struggling to reach the surface; her terror-stricken state sending her mind in a frenzy, which made her movements uncoordinated and clumsy.

He launched towards her with the speed of a shortfin mako shark and hastily helped her rise above the sea.

Naminé heaved in an enormous gulp of air as they burst from the ocean; Roxas finding a hefty piece of wood for her to hang on to.

"Oh, thank God," Kairi breathed.

"You okay?" Sora and Riku worriedly asked in unison.

The blonde vigorously nodded. "Yup, I just panicked for a little bit, but I'm fine now. C'mon, we're nearly there, let's keep goin'!" she encouraged.

"Well, you heard the woman. Get your asses in motion!" the redhead exclaimed, the group resuming their perilous trek to the center of the storm.

* * *

Sora suddenly let out a loud, triumphant gasp. "Oh my God, I can see it! We're so close!" he yelled as his ocean-blue eyes caught sight of the odd phenomena of swirling water faintly in the distance.

Everyone perked up upon hearing the glorious news, and immediately swam full speed ahead towards the whirlpool.

Kairi, exhausted from all the tireless swimming, all of sudden felt both feet beginning to cramp up; the stinging sensation forcing her to halt her movements. She quickly began to sink into the bottomless abyss, but before she did she felt someone grab her.

"Nuh-uh. You're not dyin' on my watch," Riku said once she resurfaced.

The girl smiled, thankful towards her friend. "Thanks, now go faster, you fuckin' snail, so I can bug you in another world."

Riku dropped his hold on the teen. "Whoops, sorry, guess my fingers slipped," he insincerely apologized as he brought her back to the realm of oxygen once more.

"...I'm not gonna say anythin' 'cause I know if I do you're just gonna drop me again."

"Maybe, maybe not. Wanna test out that theory?"

"If I'm goin' down, I'm takin' you with me, y'know."

"Yeah, I know, but it'll be worth it."

"Just keep swimmin'," she sighed, too tired to put up with the silver-haired teen's nonsense.

Several painstakingly long minutes later they were all within a few feet of the vortex, everyone staring into the spiraling water in awe.

"...We made it," Kairi said, too overwhelmed by the realization that their childhood dream was right in front of to think of any more words to say.

"Told ya we would someday," Riku smirked.

"You guys ready?" Sora asked the quartet, his incandescent smile making the sun itself seem like a low-battery nightlight.

"Hell no. Let's go," the gray-haired boy replied, a certain gleam appearing in his turquoise eyes as he spoke.

"Wait, we gotta make sure we don't get separated when we go in. Everyone hold hands," the auburn-haired teen instructed, the crew scrambling around to the desired formation.

Naminé barely managed to fight off the urge to squeal with joy as Riku's hand held on to her right. That tingly, fuzzy feeling worked its way back into her system, making her feel dangerously light-headed. She couldn't even tell if she was smiling or not, but strangely enough she didn't really care.

Sora, who was the furthest to the right, clumsily swam to the rim of the counter-clockwise maelstrom. As they began to get pulled in, the teens sucked in as much as as their lungs could contain before they were completely submerged in the salty, unpredictable ocean waters.

They adamantly held on to each other as the currents violently shoved them this way and that, testing them-toying with them, letting them know that they were truly at the mercy of Mother Nature herself. Numerous times she nearly succeeded, but again and again, over and over, they proved to be too resilient to let her split the five of them apart.

Roxas, being the only one able to open his eyes without indulging in the immediate sensation of them burning, took notice of the strangely accentuated shape of the other currents that would appear for a fraction of a second before the rapid turbulence would flip them every which way. Some were directly parallel to the other while some met in abstract intersections, like a child had solely connected the hinges of two articulated straws together, bending them in whichever way they desired. What gave the channels their various forms, he knew not, but that was neither a here nor there.

He suddenly became aware of Naminé's weakening grip, but if he were to tighten his hold even more he'd bruise her. In addition they were speedily approaching an oncoming current. If he didn't do anything fast, they'd become separated in an instant...

The blonde suddenly couldn't feel Riku's hand in her own as the water yanked them apart from each other, causing her to quickly panic and desperately swish her hand around in search for his. She wasn't about to lose them, she **wasn't**. She still wanted to hear Sora's snorty laughter, Riku's sarcastic remarks, and Kairi's never-ending anecdotes. She didn't want to lose that; she didn't want to lose them.

The channel sped up as they merged onto another lane, creating even more distance between the duo and the trio. Where they were headed Roxas didn't know, nor did he care. They weren't separated and that was all that mattered for the time being.

Their momentum continued to skyrocket, and for a terrifying moment she thought she'd lose him, too. He realized this as well and immediately gathered her in his arms before the cruel sea had the opportunity to snatch her away.

At this point the blonde's lungs were begging her to release the air inside them, but she knew she had to hold on to that air for just a little bit longer.

Just a little bit longer...

Just... a little longer...

Just... a bit...

* * *

The flaxen-haired girl awoke to the feeling of movement-or rather the feeling that someone was carrying her as they walked.

The frigid air nipped at her soaked clothes and skin, making her squirm with discomfort as the chill made every single hair on her arms and neck stand on end.

Out of curiosity, she glanced over to her left past the person's arm to observe her surroundings. A full radiant moon adorned the inky black sky, lighting up the land below it all on its own as its friends, the stars, were nowhere to be seen. A quivering reflection of the bright celestial object could be seen on the pitch-black ocean, making it seems like it, too, was shuddering from the cold. Naminé also took note of the odd rocks that protruded from the sandy shoreline. Although they were all relatively tall, none of them seemed to surpass ten feet, and, although it was quite hard to see given the time of day, she noticed dark blue veins crawling up the surface of some of the midnight blue boulders. She'd have to remember to visit the beach again sometime later.

"You should try to get some sleep," she heard Roxas say.

"Where are we?"

"I'll explain later. Right now you should try to sleep."

"It can't, it's cold as fuck."

"Would you like to have my coat?"

"Nah, I'm fine. My hoodie's still in the backpack, right? I'll just wear that."

"Everything inside the backpack is wet."

"Oh...I mean, if it doesn't bother you, I guess I'll take it."

"Not at all," he said, setting her down on her feet and shrugging off the knapsack before he unzipped his coat down to the hem of his pants and stepped out of it; handing it over to the girl.

"Thanks," she said before she tried it on. The leather stuck on to her skin as she slipped into the cloak, zipping it up to an inch below her collarbone. Admittedly, it had some weight to it, and all around it was a bit big on her, but at least she was somewhat warmer than she was before.

After she slipped on the backpack and climbed onto his back, they were ready to venture into the metropolis sitting on the horizon ahead. Shortly after a few minutes of walking, Naminé's eyelids began to feel heavy with each step he took, and not long after that she finally gave in to sleep's beckoning call.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy X-2, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or Lilo and Stitch, nor any of their respective characters.**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **Soooo, long time no see, huh? Hope you enjoyed the _super_ long chapter. Think of it as a little apology gift to atone for the lack of updates. Speaking of which, I've already planned when the next update is comin' up:  January 16, 2017. It'll also be posted in the story summary right after this comes out. After that we should be back with the bi-weekly schedule.**

 **Y'know, I gotta say I really miss uploading the story. It's nice to hear feedback from you guys, whether good or bad. It also gives me the opportunity to flip the fuck out like the nerd I am whenever a trailer or somethin' drops. Like the final 2.8 trailer we got almost two weeks back. I won't say anything here in case you haven't seen it, but I HIGHLY recommend watching it. Man, the hype is sooo real for 2.8. Hopefully I'll actually be able to play it instead of just watching others playing it on YouTube. Fingers crossed I'll actually be able to get a PS4 this Christmas.**

 **And also, we hit 40+ views not too long ago! Man, I feel like we just hit 20 and now we're already at 40... Jesus, time flies. And it's almost 2017, too! Hey, not too long from now it'll almost be the one year anniversary of _He Came in a Box_. God, that's crazy to think of. Anyways, I digress. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, and to all the silent readers, too! Y'all the real MVPs.**

 **Now before I go, I just gotta say, I think you'll find the next chapter to be a treat. Maybe. Hopefully. That, and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, H** **anukkah, Kwanzaa, whatever you celebrate! Basically Happy Holidays is what I'm trying to say here. With that, thank you again for reading, and I hope to see you in the next one!**


	18. A Spark of Love

Naminé groggily pulled the blanket over her head, letting out a long stream of warm air from her nose to heat up the small pocket of closed space she was residing in. After repeating this method several times she poked her head out so she could breathe in some fresh air before she retracted back underneath the blanket like a frightened turtle.

It was still early morning, so she saw no need to explore the world right at that very moment. Maybe a few minutes after the sun rose she'd get up.

Unfortunately, her stomach begged to differ as it growled at her to get up and feed it while she still had the strength to do so.

Finally giving in, she let out a huff of annoyance through her nose before she threw the covers off herself, and then immediately put them back on.

'Jesus Christ, it's fucking freezing!'

"Hey, can you do me a favor real quick and turn up the heat?" she called over to Roxas, who was currently in the furnace room.

"I can't at the moment; the power supply for the heating and cooling systems have overheated, and I haven't been able to find the tools necessary to fix it," he explained, shortly appearing afterwards in the doorway.

"So we have no running water and no electricity, which means no heat. I think we just happened to end up in an abandoned building, Roxas. I mean, I'm not tryin' to say that you're wrong, but it's a little hard for me to accept the fact that eight million people suddenly disappeared overnight," she said, recalling his brief explanation of the supposed vanishment of the citizens of The World That Never Was earlier that morning.

"I'm skeptical of it myself, but whether you choose to believe it or not doesn't change the fact that we haven't seen a single person since we've gotten here."

"Maybe it's like how it was in the Land of Departure; we just so happened to end up in a less populated part of the city. We can check it out now since I've basically given up on trying to go back to sleep. I was hopin' to go when the sun came up, but oh well," she shrugged.

"This world doesn't have a day and night cycle."

"Oh...Well, whatever. Anyways, you can have your coat back once I'm done changin', just gimme a couple seconds."

He curtly nodded and closed the door on his way out.

After she'd done that, she took a few sips of water and wolfed down a few granola bars from the backpack. She then hoisted it onto her shoulders, opened the door, and gave the coat back to the topless blond. Once he slipped it on, they began to make their way out of the empty apartment.

"Hey, I didn't know there was a piano," she remarked as they walked into the living room.

"Do you play?" Roxas asked as she went up to it and eagerly sat down on the leather piano bench.

"A long time ago I did, but I only know how to play 'Happy Birthday'," she explained, racking her brain for the starting note as her fingers hovered over the keys.

"...I think it was C-no, D major..." she mumbled to herself, pressing key after key until one of them sounded right to her.

"I can tell you which one it is."

"Hold on, I wanna try to figure this out myself," the blonde said. "D major, what does D major sound like...?"

* * *

"All right, guess I'm not gonna figure that out anytime soon," she sighed after ten minutes of fruitless labor. "Can you hum it for me instead of telling me which one it is? I don't want all that time to be a total waste."

He did as she asked and hummed pleasantly, holding the note until she eventually came upon the right key.

"Is this one it?" she asked him, playing the desired the note.

"Yes."

"Okay, so if I remember correctly..." she trailed off, pressing the key twice. "And then..." she played the note next to it, then went back to D. "You know what? This is gonna take forever, let's get goin'," she said, standing up and heading towards the door. "So I'm guessin' you know how to play that and virtually every other instrument in existence?"

"Yes, but I can't play wind instruments."

"How come?"

"You need air."

"Oh, and you don't have lungs, so...yeah, I see why. Hey, can you maybe play a little song when we get back?"

"Of course. Do you have a particular one in mind?"

"Surprise me," she shrugged before opening the door.

Outside, dozens upon thousands of somber skyscrapers loomed over the pair like a council of silent, judging elders. Ubiquitous neon signs flickered hopelessly throughout the dim streets, and every building contained at least one room with light flooding the inside as if occupied.

"See, I told ya people were still here," Naminé remarked as they began to wander aimlessly among the urban jungle. Roxas peeked inside one of the windows of a nearby lofty restaurant.

"There's no one inside," he stated, causing the girl to throw him a quizzical look before she took a look for herself.

"...Huh, that's weird," she commented, her breath fogging up the glass as she spoke. "Maybe they closed early or somethin', and the workers are still in the kitchen." She turned to Roxas. "Let's see if we can go in. If not, then whatever."

They made their way around the corner to the main entrance of La Ratatouille. The duo noticed the sign hanging in the window by the glass doors officially proclaiming the bistro closed, but instead of continuing their aimless venture, Roxas purposely barged into the brasserie, which wasn't much of a hassle as, oddly enough, the doors weren't locked. Confused by his actions and by the unlocked doors, the platinum blonde followed him inside.

"Hey, is anyone here?" Naminé called out as she slowly walked around the café, her footfalls muddled by the red, luxurious carpet.

They heard the sound of various metals clanging from the pitch-black kitchen, which was hidden from them behind a set of double porthole doors.

Curiously, the girl edged closer to the doors, but before she was just about to push them open, she felt a hand grab her left shoulder.

"It'd be safer if you stayed out here. I'll go and see whether it's okay for you to go inside," Roxas proposed.

Naminé considered the plan in her head, and after a short pause she decided to go with his decision, "Yeah, okay. Be careful."

"I will," he promised before heading inside, disappearing from her view. The girl took a seat at one of the tables dressed in fine linen as she waited for him to come back. Shortly afterwards she began to anxiously drum her fingers on the table. To keep herself occupied she reached for a menu on her left and read the kind of cuisine they served at the snazzy establishment.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she went down the list. She could barely recognize the names of any of the dishes, let alone their descriptions. ' _Cervelle de Canut_? _'Hors d'Oeuvres'_? She didn't even know how to pronounce half of them. Was this place so fancy to the point where dish names didn't even register as words anymore?

She placed the thought on hold, however, as her eyes flew up to the porthole upon seeing the kitchen become flooded with light. She also noted that the clinging noise from before had also mysteriously stopped.

Naminé noticed the doors open just a hair's width, but before she could do anything, it suddenly opened wider as a swarm of rats hastily scuttled across the floor, surprising her as she immediately hugged her knees close to her chest.

Roxas then emerged from the kitchenette, "Were you bitten?"

She shook her head, "No, but I didn't expect a whole fuckin' mob to just burst outta the kitchen. So, did ya find anyone?"

"No."

"Oh...Well, at least we know we aren't the only living beings out here. Still, there's gotta be someone somewhere...Oh, I know where we can look!" she exclaimed, standing up so quickly she knocked over her chair. "Oops..." She set it upright and then turned to him. "But, yeah, like I said, I know where to go now. If no one's there, then what you said 'bout the world really is true."

"Where is it?"

"Y'know that really tall building with the screens? I think that's, like, a government office building or somethin'. I know it's kinda far, but that's probably our best bet if we wanna find people."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look, but I'd like to search for the tools to fix the heating afterwards."

"Yeah, sounds good. C'mon, let's get goin'."

* * *

"Well, all the lights are on, so that's a pretty good sign," Naminé observed as they slowed to a moderate pace upon approaching the skyscraper. The clunky jumbotrons drunkenly crammed at the top of the tower all displayed identical screens of multi-colored bars politely asking no one in particular to wait while nonexistent people fixed the issue at hand.

The blonde picked up the faint buzzing and stuttering of electricity enacting somewhere to her right near the massive superstructure; curiosity once again taking ahold of the girl as it directed her towards the source of the sound.

"What the hell? A truck...?" she asked, utterly bewildered as her big, round eyes landed upon the overturned vehicle; its tail lights weakly blinking as though it were aware that its time was limited. "Jesus, haven't seen one of these **ages**..." she muttered to herself before walking up to it, cocking her head to the side as she peered into the cargo area. Seeing nothing, she took a bold step forward as she climbed inside to make sure she didn't miss anything farther back.

Once she confirmed that she indeed saw everything inside, she made her way back outside. "Let's go inside already, I'm freezin' my ass off over here," she shivered before she hastily hopped up the stairs leading to the front entrance of the tower.

The girl sighed in relief as warm air surrounded her entire being upon entering the revolving doors. "Whew, that's better," she sighed, taking off her sweater and tying it around her waist.

"Hey, is anyone here?!" She strained her ears for a reply, but to her disappointment none came. She then made her way behind the reception desk to see if anyone was hiding, but she again found no one. "On to the next floor then," she muttered, strolling over to the silver elevator directly across from the entryway.

The doors slid open automatically when she hit the button next to it, as if it hadn't been used in years and was eager to serve the two.

'Nine floors?' she thought to herself when she saw the panel. 'Don't think I've ever seen a building with an odd number of floors, but I guess there's a first time for everything,' she reasoned as she pressed the button to the second floor. 'Let's just hope we find someone here.'

* * *

"Damn, you really weren't pullin' my leg," Naminé finally conceded after yet another one of her calls went unanswered for the ninth time in a row. "We really are the only ones here... So then how did they all disappear outta thin air like that? And where'd they go?"

"That I'm unsure of. Like the uncanny storm in Destiny Islands, it can't be explained within the scope of science we understand as of the moment," he said.

"But-I mean-Shit like this doesn't just happen! Millions of people don't just simultaneously disappear like that!" she proclaimed. There's gotta be a reason, right?"

"Of course there is, it's just we don't know it yet."

"Aren't you bothered by it? Doesn't it bug you that we don't why or how this happened?" she asked him, slightly irked at his nonchalant reaction to the situation.

"No."

"How come? What if if happens to us, huh?"

"Are you hungry?" he suddenly asked her.

"...Maybe..."

"Then you should take a quick lunch break before we look for the tools."

"...Sure, I guess, but don't think I'll let you off that easy," she warned as she took off the backpack and sat cross-legged on the ivory tile floor, pulling out a small granola bar.

"So..." She paused, chewing the sweetened cereal bar into tiny pieces before she continued, "What's the next world?"

"Radiant Garden."

Naminé stopped chewing immediately and looked the blond dead in the eyes with an astonished and hopeful expression. "You serious?!"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You didn't ask."

"Who the hell cares?!" she yelled, more excited than angry as a zealous smile bloomed across her pale face. "We're almost there; we're so close! How do we get there?" she hastily asked.

"Normally, we'd be able to use the subway, but seeing as no one's here to operate it, that's no longer an option."

Her face fell. "Aw, what? Can we still get there if we walk?"

"Yes, albeit we'd have to go through the subway tunnel."

"I don't see a problem with that. C'mon, let's go now!" the impatiently insisted.

"I think it'd be better if we left tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?! We've barely been out here for an hour!"

"You'll be better rested and less prone to making rash decisions," he coolly reasoned.

"But I wanna go now!" she whined.

"I'm aware of that, but as I just said earlier it'd better if we leave tomorrow."

The girl opened her mouth to counter his logic, but just then something outside caught her attention, making her drop the subject as she tried to comprehend what she was witnessing.

There, in the ebony sky, was a dazzling white light that caused the blonde to flinch whenever she tried looking directly at it. The unknown luminous object grew closer at an alarming rate, shining brighter and brighter until it seemed like daytime in the shadowy city. The jaw-dropping light show lasted for less than a second before the flame flickered out, continuing its descent in disquieting silence.

She anxiously waited for the booming sound of the foreign entity crashing into the ground, but oddly enough it never came.

"What the fuck was that...? C'mon, let's check it out," she said briskly, slipping the backpack on before she darted towards the elevator.

"This would be an example of rash decisions," Roxas remarked as he followed her.

"It's a thing that fell from the sky! Why would I not wanna see what it is?" she defended, pressing the bottommost button once they were both inside. "Besides, I'm too hyped up to think shit through right now," she added, restlessly tapping her foot against the silver porcelain floor.

As soon as the door slid open wide enough for her to fit through, she bolted out of the building like a bat out of hell, her determination proliferating as her foot hit the pavement, fortifying her to run faster with no intention of slowing down.

Short, white puffs escaped the girl's lips as she tirelessly sprinted towards where the mysterious object landed. A few minutes in she began to feel the searing acid trickle in her legs and a crushing weight in her chest, but the unrestrainable longing to discover the unknown burned deep within her soul, giving her strength she didn't know she had to persevere.

Her mouth and throat became fleshy tundras, and her breathing grew quicker and heavier. Soon enough every step she took felt like she was repeatedly stomping her foot in knee-high flames, but she refused to stop. No matter what, she would not stop running until they arrived at the site.

Just when they were only a block away, Roxas abruptly grabbed her hand and hurriedly lead her inside one of the many desolate hotels, hastily pulling her underneath the heavy oaken reception desk a short ways away from the glass panes.

Before she even had a chance to catch her breath, all of a sudden a cacophony of glass shattering and a monstrous explosion ripped through the still air, rocking the lass to her core. Suddenly all that power she had from before left her body, leaving the girl paralyzed. Her heart accelerated quicker and quicker, and she found herself having trouble commanding her lungs to inhale. Her mind unwillingly went back to Twilight Town on the night of the bombing. She vividly recalled the noises and sensation of feeling her entire world destroyed around her. What was this? Why was her body acting this way? Was there something wrong with her?

Just as soon as it had started, the feeling dispelled, enabling her control of her body once again.

'...Well, at least it was only one this time around. C'mon, me, I've been through worse. This is nothing, just brush it off and keep going.'

"Are you all right?" she heard Roxas ask, though for some odd reason he sounded a lot farther away than he actually was.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, it just kinda caught me off guard. What was that? Did something else fall from the sky?"

"No, it was from the same object we saw earlier."

"Then how come the explosion didn't happen earlier?"

"Light travels faster than sound, therefore we saw it before we could hear it or feel it."

"Oh, okay. Anyways, let's keep goin', we're almost there," she said, crawling out from underneath the counter.

Glass shards and broken ceramic vases were haphazardly strewn about the lobby; defiling its once grandeur floors.

The ground was littered with so much debris, in fact, that Roxas had to carry the girl so her feet wouldn't be lacerated. Outside was no different apart from the truck's wailing alarm in the distance.

Fragments crunched under the blond's boots as he walked through the gloomy roads with Naminé in his arms, who persistently urged him to go faster.

Eventually they were within ten feet of the location just behind an assemblage of dilapidated townhouses. However, instead of walking into the narrow alleyway and turning right like she'd expected, he carefully set her down on her feet and told her to remain there while he surveyed the situation. She, of course, vehemently refused, saying that she didn't run for twenty blocks straight just for the hell of it.

He promised her it wouldn't take long, and that it was for her own safety and well-being, which, after truly giving it some thought, made her reluctantly agree.

Finally rearing the corner, Roxas observed a white, glossy, spherical spaceship that dug up several feet of earth upon crash landing into the ground. He tentatively edged closer to it, looking in from the half round window to see if the creature was still inside. He detected no sign of life, but he did take note of the light blue seats with safety restraints that lined the vessel, the joystick that was presumably used to steer the ship placed on the lower middle of the idle touchscreen panel, and the red button left of the handle.

The only way he saw to enter and exit the ship was by the rear where the jet propulsors were. The circular door was already wide open, meaning that whatever was inside was already loose within the endless labyrinth of streets.

He ventured inside the ship and touched the black screen to see if it would activate. The screen flickered to life for a moment before it powered back off, but that split second was more than enough time that Roxas needed to memorize it.

Strangely enough the words were in English, leading him to further believe that whatever commanded the ship was most likely human. If that was the case, then why did they build a spaceship? Unless the person wasn't from any of the worlds, but from somewhere else. Perhaps Earth? It was the only other planet in the galaxy that could've possibly harbored life, and it did have English as one of its languages, but what with all the wars and global warming, it was no longer able to sustain life...

"Whoa..." Naminé suddenly breathed a few feet behind him as she entered the spacecraft.

"You're supposed to be in the alleyway," he remarked.

"Well, I got a little bored waiting," she shrugged before the bewitching red button behind him caught her eyes. "Whazzat behind you?"

"A self-destruct button."

Her eyebrows kneaded together in confusion, "Why would they give you the option to do that?"

"Normally, it would be to destroy evidence of the object in question, but in this case I don't see why th-" He cut himself off as he sharply turned left where the weak sound of singing enacted.

The girl could hear it too, beckoning them out of the shuttle and onto the avenue. Without even needing to say a word, he picked her up bridal style and they were off.

* * *

"C'mon, nothin' so far's been dangerous!"

"That doesn't guarantee that this won't be."

"It could be a person!"

"Who might attempt to harm you."

"Pretty please? Just this once?"

"Regardless if I agree or not I know you're going to follow me," he said as he set her down once more a few yards away from an oncoming alleyway. His voice then grew hard, "But this time it is imperative that you stay here. We don't know who or what we're dealing with, nor what they're capable of. For the sake of your safety, you must remain here."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," she sighed.

"Promise me you won't move from this spot."

She briefly rolled her eyes at him before she placed a hand over her heart and raised the other arm up, "I, Naminé Wise, solemnly swear I will not move from this area unless given permission by you to do so," she monotonously swore.

"Good. I'll be back shortly," he said before he entered the dead end on his left.

Movement flickered out of the corner of his eyes right as he stepped foot inside the alleyway. A small, filthy cube was tucked into the upper right crook, making it rather obvious that it did not belong.

Slowly, Roxas approached the metal box, sensing faint energy levels radiating from the container. When he was within a few inches of the box, a pair of caterpillar tracks suddenly sprouted from underneath it, enabling it to glide away from him as quickly as it could.

Fortunately he was able to catch it before it could scurry away, but upon being captured it let out a small, terrified human-like shriek; the sound immediately alerting Naminé as soon as the noise reached her ear drums.

She took a step towards the dead end, but then she remembered the promise she had made to the boy, making her place it right back where it was. She eventually heard him talking, but he was too far away for her to make out anything intelligible.

She eventually decided that she'd only go as far as the edge of the building and just take a tiny peek, then go right back to her designated post. No biggie, right?

With that, she shuffled over to the edge and curiously craned her neck to look at what he was doing; and upon closer inspection she noticed that there was something peculiar about the box he held in his hands. She wasn't sure why, but it looked as if it was actually shaking.

'What is that? Is there something inside?' she wondered before he resumed speaking, deciding to stick around a bit to see how the scene will play out.

"Who created you?" he demanded, his tone, though quiet, expressing great hostility.

No response was heard from the machine, forcing the blond to take drastic measures.

"You have three seconds to respond before I terminate you," he warned, already raising his the robot high above his head in preparation to smash it into the pavement.

"Hold the fuck up!" Naminé shouted, stepping out from around the corner, "Don't hurt them!"

"You promised you wouldn't move from your spot," he reminded, keeping the box suspended in the air.

"I don't fucking care, put them down; gently!"

"With all due respect, I will not."

"And why is that?" she asked crossly.

"It's a foreign entity that we know nothing of, therefore it could kill you."

"But it also might not, either. Besides, look at them, they're trembling!" she sympathized. "How 'bout this: you let me talk to them instead, and if they try to run away you get them?"

"The shaking could've been a ruse to imbue sympathy."

"Well, if they could've hurt you then they would've done it by now, right?"

"It maybe be waiting for the right opportunity to attack."

"Oh, stop being so skeptical and put 'em down already."

"No."

"Roxas!"

"I'm not letting you near it."

"Hm...Okay, then how 'bout you put 'em over there, and I wait overrr..." she trailed off, backtracking to the opening of the alleyway, "Here, and then you come here too?" she proposed.

"...Only on one condition: you stay that distance away from it."

"Deal."

"Look me in the eyes and promise me you will."

"What, you don't trust me?"

"The last two times I did, you still broke your promise."

'Fuck, he got me there...'

As the only way to gain his trust, the blonde did exactly as he instructed and said with every ounce of conviction, "I promise."

He studied her expression for a bit before he apprehensively lowered the robot down as he walked toward the back of the shadowy alleyway. Reaching the end, he cautiously set it down and then ran over to where Naminé was.

After a few moments of uneasy silence, the girl attempted to break the ice with the little frightened fellow, "My name's Naminé, would you mind telling me yours?"

The robot made no indication of trying to communicate with her, but at least they stopped shaking, which was considered progress in Naminé's eyes. Not much progress, but progress nonetheless. Now all she had to do was coax them out of their shell.

"Don't worry, I don't wanna hurt you, I just wanna help you," she gently assured, "Would you please tell me your name?" she asked, cocking her head ever so slightly.

She didn't know if his continued silence meant he was considering it, but she was eventually given her answer as the dusty metal flaps located on the box top slowly opened, revealing a pair of oddly child-like binocular eyes that stared at her; the angle of them making them appear slightly worried and confused, yet somewhat hopeful, like a lost child receiving help from a stranger.

"...Wall-E," they shyly informed, their voice sounding somewhat masculine to the girl.

"Nice to meet you, Wall-E," she smiled. "Where are you from?"

"Earth," he replied, gradually blossoming out of his cube body.

"Earth? I think I might've heard of it before..." She then noticed something engraved to his left on the wall, and although it was a bit difficult to tell what it was, she eventually went with the assumption that it was a drawing.

"Did you draw that?" she asked, pointing to the illustration of what seemed to be a round lower case 'i' with the width decreasing as it reached the bottom, and two little arms floating near the sides pointing downwards.

Wall-E nodded, and made a noise as if he had just remembered something. He turned to the picture and drew another circle inside the one already there with an orange laser inbetween his eyes, moving at a snail's pace so as to not mess up the ovals he was drawing. Naminé soon realized there were supposed to be eyes, and just like that the picture shifted from a lowercase letter to a feminine looking design of a potential robot.

"Who's that? They a friend of yours?"

He nodded once more, this time a bit slower than before, and then gave a sad sounding sigh, lifting his claw up to the picture in yearning. She heard him mumble something, but he was too far away for her to catch it.

"What's their name?"

"Eva..." he distantly responded, his attention transfixed on his portrait of her.

"I'm guessin' you two got separated, huh? Well, if you want, we could help you look for her," she offered.

The slightly tarnished robot shook his eyes and pointed to the inky sky. "Eva."

"Oh... Well, I'm sure she's lookin' for ya too. I bet she's probably already on her way here right now. She could be here any minute now for all we know," the blonde said, trying to brighten up the situation.

Right on cue, a second blinding light fell from the night sky, but instead of it intensifying, then dying out, it simply vanished into the sea of darkness above them.

Naminé squinted her eyes as she tried to make out the object from the onyx backdrop, but the effort was in vain.

"What the hell was that?" she asked to no one in particular; Roxas already zooming in on the interstellar entity, his focus automatically adjusting as he did.

"It's Eva," he revealed.

"Eva?" Wall-E asked in surprise, breaking him out of his trance.

"Oh, shit, really? Man, I was just bein' optimistic, but we'll take it," the girl smiled, turning to the robot. "Well, whaddya waitin' for? Call her over!"

The tiny bot jubilantly slid from his end of the alleyway to theirs, making a quiet, excited burbling sound as he went.

He got too close for Roxas' comfort, making him instinctively step in front of the platinum blonde, utilizing his body as a shield between the two. Fortunately, Wall-E passed in front of them with no accident, and he began wildly flailing his arms in the air in an attempt to catch the other's robot attention.

"Eva!" he shouted, hoping his voice would carry over to her. He too, zoomed in on his friend, finding them to be anxiously surveying the ground.

Something in the distance caught her scanners instead, and without hesitation she took off in the opposite direction.

"Eva!" he called once more, but she was already too far away to hear him. Taking action, Wall-E immediately shadowed Eva's path, determined to reunite with her.

"Hey, wait for us!" Naminé grinned, his enthusiasm becoming infectious as she quickly chased after the speedy little robot.

The unusual trio trailed the flying automaton, following her until they were near the crashed ship.

"Eva!" the Earthling exclaimed as he rounded the corner. The girl was close behind him, but she was suddenly stopped mid-run by Roxas.

"She could be dangerous," he warned, his grip on her wrist firm.

Not wanting to miss their reunion, she didn't argue with him and settled for watching the scene from the alleyway.

Her eyes flickered from an ecstatic Wall-E to the milky-white elegant robot rocketing towards him, the picture he drew earlier proving to be a tremendously accurate reflection of her. To Naminé she looked even better than the illustration, and the fact that she flew only augmented the girl's fascination of her sleek design.

The human barely picked up on Eva crying out Wall-E's name in joy before she picked him up and went spiraling up into the dark sky; the smaller robot's shrieks becoming fainter and fainter as they elevated higher and higher.

"What are they doin'?" she asked as they were now mere specks in the sky.

"They're coming back down," he said as the dots soon gradually grew in size.

They felt a wave of gelid air wash over them as the robots descended back down to the ground; Eva's tinkly giggles ringing throughout the dim metropolis.

"Eva," Wall-E said, withdrawing a worn out boot from inside his body with a young, healthy green sapling growing inside of it, holding it up for her to take.

She gasped upon seeing the plant, "Wall-E!" she exclaimed, her body opening up as a sapphire beam, equivalent to the color of her eyes, instantly shot out and enveloped the shoe, transferring it inside her; a pale green symbol of a three-leafed plant now visible on the upper left part of her body.

She yelled something incoherent right before she flew into him once more; the display of uncontainable excitement enough to make the girl smile.

Eva ardently twirled around with Wall-E in her arms as she picked up velocity, laughing as she did so while the box-shaped robot clung onto her for dear life.

As they slowed down, the onlookers witnessed the sight of Eva pressing her forehead against Wall-E's, a blue spark emitting between the two for a split second before she pulled away.

Wall-E didn't move. In fact it seemed as though he was paralyzed. They heard beeps coming from him that was reminiscent of that of a heartbeat.

Eva giggled at his reaction, and she was about to pick him up again so they could board the Axiom until she spotted two figures peeking from behind the edge of the building.

She casted another blue ray of light, this time on Roxas and Naminé. Upon scanning them she found the girl to be an incredibly scrawny human, telling her not to harm her, but the other one, despite having the appearance of an extremely undernourished human, entered as an unregistered robot, thus making them unpredictable and dangerous.

Without any warning, Roxas abruptly shoved the girl all the way into the street just as an explosion went off.

Wall-E shrieked as the sudden spike in noise surprised him, but the blonde blankly stared with wide eyes at the cloud of debris where Roxas stood just a second ago.

Her mind was having trouble processing what had just occurred. She was so stunned all she could focus on was the small billow of dust a few feet ahead of her.

'Okay, let's back track a bit: Eva scanned you and Roxas, then he pushed you away, and then there was an explosion, and now there's just dust. So then... No... No, he couldn't have...That's not possible, it simply isn't possible, right...?'

She then saw Eva hover over the flurry of debris, her arm suddenly resembling a gun as she scanned the cloud. She shot again, waited, then shot once more. She did it simultaneously again and again until the mass was nearly as tall as the townhouses; her demeanor now a rigid dichotomy from the once elated, mirthful robot she was mere moments ago.

Meanwhile all Naminé could do was gawk as she ceaselessly fired into the thick smog, hoping that he'd suddenly jump out from the fog, or that she'd at least be able to catch a glimpse of him or something; anything.

She tried to get her body to move, but it was like she was encased in ice, and her voice simply vanished like the people of this megacity. All she was capable of doing was watching helplessly as each shot lowered his chance of surviving the onslaught.

'C'mon, move! Fucking move! At least say something, goddammit!'

Finally, after what seemed life an eternity to the blonde, the brutal assault came to a close. Eva scanned one last time as a precautionary measure, and she made what sounded like an interjection of frustration before she aimed once more, this time near the human. Protocol refrained her from injuring any human, but she had a theory she wanted to test ever since it'd been quietly developing in her mind since the last ten seconds or so.

A blur of black and gold suddenly shot out from the fog just before she fired; Naminé's vision abruptly spinning as she felt the sensation of her body rolling.

When she opened her eyes she found herself gazing into rich royal azure orbs. They briefly stared at her for a second before they shifted to the levitating robot roughly ten feet away from them.

It wasn't until they got off her and stood up did her brain suddenly recognize the person; a flood of joyous relief instantly extinguishing her worries to smoke.

Eva steadily floated downward until she was at her customary height a few inches above the ground, her glaring scanners never leaving the robot in front of her.

"Directive?" she worded as a command, her arm targeted precisely at Roxas.

"Guardian," he answered in a deadpan tone, the Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator taking note of their abnormal change in eye color.

"Name?"

"Roxas."

She couldn't find an acronym in her built-in directory that matched their supposed name, but given their directive they weren't considered a hindrance to her own, meaning that annihilating them wasn't necessary.

She reverted her gun back into her normal arm, and gathered Wall-E, now in his box form, in her arms. Without a word, Eva rocketed off into space, intent on fulfilling her one and only objective with hopefully no more needless distractions.

"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" Naminé asked him once she finally regained control of her voice.

"I'm fine. Were you hurt?"

"No, no, of course not!" she smiled, tears beginning to slip from her eyes as she was overjoyed at the fact that he had survived. "Ha, sorry, I'm just really happy you're okay," she hastily explained, wiping away the tears with her fists as she sniffed. "Let's head back to the apartment, I'm already pretty worn out for the day."

"I still need to get tools and a new power supply for the thermostat," he reminded her as they begun walking back to their temporary home.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about...wait, we can just move into a place that already has heat and everythin'. No, wait, you owe me a piano recital, mister."

"I could perform a short piece, then we could find another home to stay in."

"Yeah, that sounds good," she concurred. Shortly afterwards she laced their fingers together, and for the rest of the trip they silently walked side by side; finding solace in knowing that the other was okay, and that they were right there with them.

* * *

"Hold on," the girl said as she made herself more comfortable on the sofa in the living room, propping one of the black pillows up against the armrest. "Okay, you can play now," she confirmed, wiggling a bit inside her cocoon of blankets.

Roxas regarded the piano in front of him, resting his gloved fingers on the glossy keys for a moment before he began.

The melody started off soft and slow with the harmony matching its calm, somewhat melancholy tone shortly afterwards. Not even twenty seconds in and Naminé was already beginning to nod off, but she managed to at least keep her eyes open for a few seconds at a time.

"What's the name of the song?" she yawned as the song came to a peaceful close, standing up and shedding the blanket off.

" 'Gymnopédie number one: Lent et douloureux' by Erik Satie."

She gave him a bemused look, "I'm sorry, could you say that again?"

" 'Gymnopédie number one: Lent et dououreux' by Erik Satie. _Lent et douloureux_ simply means slow and painful in French."

"What's French?"

This time it was him that gave her a puzzled look, "It's a language."

"There's more than one?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes. By the way, how do you spell your name?"

"Uh, N-A-M-I-N-E with a little dash over the 'e'. Why d'ya ask?"

"That little dash over the 'e' is an accent aigu, which is derived from French."

"Oh, really?"

He nodded. He knew Twilight Town's education system wasn't the highest among the worlds, but didn't know it was that poor. Then again he had to take into account that she's rarely ever been outside of her hometown. That and nearly all of the non-English speaking worlds were coincidentally situated a long ways away from most worlds, so he could understand why the schools of Twilight Town never taught foreign languages, but to never acknowledge the existence of them? That was nothing short of the word absurd.

"How many do you know?" she asked.

"All known languages so far."

"Jesus, are you for real?"

"Yes."

"Damn... Can you teach me some of 'em once we get settled down in Radiant Garden?"

"Of course."

"Sweet. All right, guess we should be on our way then. How 'bout we get a place with a view this time?" she suggested, as they began to walk out of the apartment.

"Whatever you prefer," he answered.

"...So, we're almost there, huh?" she said, rubbing her hands together before blowing into them, "Crazy to think about how far we've come. To be honest, I wouldn't mind visiting other worlds after we move in with my uncle, but I'd rather only stay there for a couple days or so." She stopped for a moment to rub her throat a bit as it felt somewhat off before continuing, "Man, I can't wait for tomorrow! We're so close I can almost taste it!" she eagerly smiled, feeling the excitement bubble up within her just thinking about the thought.

"It's been quite the expedition, I will admit."

"You got that right. Hey, I like that one over there," she remarked, pointing to a high-rise building several blocks northeast of them.

"Then that's where we'll stay."

* * *

"All right, I know we've only been up for a couple hours, but I just wanna call it a day already," she said, flopping on the king-sized mattress once they arrived at the master bedroom.

Roxas said nothing as he removed the knapsack from the blonde's back and set it on the floor adjacent to the head of the bed.

"Hey, so you sure you're okay?" she asked, rolling onto her side as he slipped into bed next to her.

"Positive," he replied. "It'd take a bit more than that to catch me off guard."

"Well, I know I said it before, but I'm really glad you're okay. I was really worried about you there for a sec. Hopefully somethin' like that doesn't happen again... So, um, what would happen to you if you were to...y'know..."

"I'd explode."

"Holy fuck, explode?!"

"Yes: I run on nuclear energy, therefore if I'm destroyed the mini computers inside my body that manage the blasts of energy would shut down, resulting in a nuclear explosion."

"Jesus..."

"But there's no need to worry about it at the moment. You should get some rest, we have quite a bit of walking to do tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay," she mumbled sleepily, scooting closer to him so she could lay her head on his chest, "G'night, err, afternoon; whatever the hell time it is."

"I believe the more appropriate saying in this scenario would be sweet dreams."

"All right; sweet dreams, Roxas," she said, sluggishly wrapping an arm around him, holding him with a certain tightness that one only bestows upon those they truly care for.

"Sweet dreams."

The hours of sleep slowly swept by, and before she even realized it morning had already come to visit the two. As the girl broke out into a smile, she felt a sudden tingle in her nose, making her face scrunch up in discomfort.

Right then Naminé let out two explosive sneezes that rivaled the intensity of the spaceship's from yesterday.

She was sick, and being sick meant she had to recover, which in turn meant that Radiant Garden wouldn't come as soon as she would've liked.

'Fuck.'

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Wall-E or either of their respective character. The piece 'Gymnopédie No. 1: _Lent et douloureux_ ' is composed by Erik Satie.**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **You know, I honestly didn't expect the chapter to be this long, but since it is, consider it another apology gift for the wait. Luckily I don't plan on having any more hiatuses from here on out. From this chapter onward, we'll be back on track with our usual bi-weekly schedule, woo-hoo!**

 **So we've arrived in TWTNW, huh? Well, technically speaking, we first washed up in the Dark Margin, which then segwayed into TWTNW, but I digress. Oh, and we also (briefly) met Wall-E and Eve! Man, I don't know about you guys, but I fucking love that movie to death. Speaking of, if you know when that movie takes place in, then you also know what year this story occurs in too. I gotta say though, the original scene of Wall-E and Eve (Define dancing) is _so_ much better than this watered down version of it. I don't think I managed to quite capture the same sense of feeling in this story, but that's why I'm an aspiring writer and not a Pixar/Disney script writer.**

 **Some other things I want to bring up: 1): We're so fucking close to RG it's not even funny. Bet you didn't expect for it to be so soon, huh? Well, if you recall it sort of is the reason Roxas and Nami left in the first place, so it's not like they were going to wander about the worlds forever, you know.**

 **2): Inspiration for the city being completely deserted came from the Creepypasta "The Disappearance of Ashley, Kansas" written by the username CoasterKid. The reason I bring this up is because, if you're looking for a good horror story, I highly suggest reading this one. Personally, I recommend listening to Cry's narration of it. Just search up: "Cry Reads: The Disappearance of Ashley, Kansas" on YouTube and you're all set. He adds in a bunch of sound effects to enhance the atmosphere, and the voice acting itself is phenomenal, so if you're interested, please give it a listen.  
**

 **3): We reached 20 followers, which means it's thank you time, baby! As stated in the last one, if anyone would like to have their username taken down, just send me a message and I'll do it ASAP! So let's begin: thank you ARSLOTHES, Acissat Lukartoap, Android Antinomy, DACThePoissons, Fictionreader100, Noshpah 2.0, Riddean Rize, a54321, readingchameleon, riml, and roxasduelwielder for following! It means a lot to me that you liked the story enough to follow it, and I know this has been said many times before, but please know that I really do mean it when I say that I'm grateful for each and every follower and reader! Until the next one!**


	19. Home

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor The Lion King or its characters.**

* * *

 _"...Where's Pence?" said boy's father asked the flaxen-haired girl standing in front of him, who chose to remain quiet._

 _"Naminé, where's Pence?" his wife reiterated louder, her voice beginning to shake a bit in rising fear._

 _The blonde tried to respond, but her throat felt too thick, and her tongue refused to cooperate in order to form the words she wanted to say. The only way she could let the parents know what had befell their one and only child was by the river of salty tears that affluently poured down her face._

 _As she blubbered like the small child she felt like while trying to apologize for not telling them sooner, she suddenly became aware of her new surroundings. Instead of her ruined, demolished hometown she found herself in a sumptuous room; an elegant, emerald-green, A-line cocktail dress lying in front of her on a four-poster bed._

 _She heard a door open behind her, turning to find that it was Roxas donned in a steel blue vest with thin silver vertical lines and a black dress shirt underneath with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows, giving him that youthful charm. In addition he wore jet black dress pants, shiny raven shoes, and, to top it off, a navy blue neck tie with the lower half hidden behind his vest._

 _"Is something wrong?" the snazzy spiky-haired blond asked as he finished buttoning up his close fitting vest, which accentuated his lean form perfectly._

 _"Whaddya mean?"_

 _"You look like you've been crying," he pointed out._

 _"It does? I don't remember crying..."_

 _"Regardless, we're going to be late if you don't put on your dress for the evening."_

 _"Oh, right!" she remembered, quickly snatching the dress off the bed before she ran into the shower room, stumbling around like a drunk as she put it on as swiftly as she could. She briefly looked at herself in the mirror, shamelessly admiring the way it hugged her hips for a second before she walked out._

 _"How's it look?" she asked, twirling a complete circle on her heel._

 _"You look absolutely ravishing," he complimented, causing the girl to beam brightly as her cheeks flared a brilliant scarlet._

 _"Thanks. You're lookin' pretty dashing yourself."_

 _"Thank you. Now, shall we leave m'lady?" he courteously asked, offering his arm up to the girl like the gentleman he was._

 _"Yes, we shall," she replied, smiling as she linked her arm with his before they egressed the room, immediately stepping into a vast banquet hall with hundreds of clothed tables scattered about the room, and a large stage stretching from one side of the room to the other with a single glass podium standing in the middle of it. In the hall, a humongous assemblage of aristocratic people chattered amongst themselves; laughing and what not as many of them were standing around with their fourth or fifth spirit in one hand while the other grasped the back of a chair as they tried to keep themselves upright._

 _Roxas lead her to the stairs connecting the stage, and as they walked across the crowd grew quieter until one could hear a pin drop by the time they reached the stand._

 _"Do you remember your lines?" he whispered under his breath._

 _Her eyes widened as the realization of what she was expected to do donned on her. "Lines? Lines for what?" she panicked._

 _"For the speech you're supposed to give in a few seconds," he hissed at her before he adjusted the microphone on the podium._

 _As he spoke to the audience, Naminé frantically racked her brain for the supposed speech she had, but to her horror she just couldn't recall a thing._

 _"...and now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the lovely Miss Naminé Wise," he introduced, stepping away from the pedestal so the blonde could take his place._

 _Once the applause had died down and she'd lowered the mic to her height, she cleared her throat before she began her impromptu address in front of a pair of a hundred unblinking, critical eyes:_

 _"First off, thank you very much for introducing me, and thank you all for coming to this very special event," she said, flashing what she hoped looked like a genuine smile. Internally her mind was running rampant as it tried to sew coherent words of thought together whilst fighting off the instinct to flee._

 _Her hands shook. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she felt dangerously light-headed to the point where she actually feared she may pass out. The lights were too bright. Everybody was glaring at her. They were waiting for her to make a mistake._

 _"I-"_

 _Terror suddenly seized her voice right out of her throat, rendering her utterly paralyzed. Her breathing grew shallow. She couldn't bear to look at the audience._

 _A familiar face. Maybe seeing a familiar face would help calm her down._

 _She quickly scanned the patrons as she desperately sought out her companion, but he was nowhere to be found._

 _The whole room stared at her with apathetic eyes, as if her overt nervousness were a feeling foreign to all of them. It made her feel like she was an outcast. Like there was something wrong with her._

 _In her state of morbid anxiety and stress her body reacted the only way it knew how to: she began to cry._

 _Her mind screamed for her muscles to move so she'd be able to recuperate herself in a custodian closet, but they didn't budge an inch. Her sharp breaths and soft hiccups cut through the dead silence, and at that moment Naminé's one and only desire was to disappear._

 _The girl shamefully covered her blood-red face as she crumpled to the floor; every single being with functioning pupils following her each and every movement._

 _God, why was this happening? Why were they all staring at her like she was some freak? Why couldn't she stop crying? Why couldn't she just disappear?_

* * *

Naminé was yanked back into consciousness with a startling abruptness that immediately sent her heart racing into panic mode. She adjusted her breathing to be long and slow so as to cancel out her wild heartbeat.

Once she had that under control she opened her eyes, waited for them to focus, and then sat up on the bed. Her head was still spinning a bit, but not as much as it had been for the last week. As for her throat little to no improvement had been made there. It still felt as congested and irritated as ever, which pissed her off immensely seeing as the past week of stomaching that horrid, ghastly medicine was all for naught.

The girl yawned and stretched her arms and back until the satisfying pop of her joints told her to relax.

A few moments afterwards Roxas strolled into the room with a pill bottle in hand, giving her the hope that she wouldn't have to take that other god awful elixir ever again.

"Good morning. How are you feeling today?" he greeted.

'It hurts to live.'

"Better than yesterday," she responded, trying to make her voice sound as healthy as possible.

"That's good to hear," he said, blessing the blonde with one of his infrequent smiles. "I found another remedy that should help you recover faster, though it's not your typical over the counter medicine," he cautioned as opened the lid and handed her two red-and-white capsules as he sat on the side of the bed.

"As long as it's not that other shit-tastin' medicine," she remarked before she reached over for her water bottle sitting on the night stand adjacent to her, popping one of the pills in her mouth before she added the water and swallowed, repeating the method once more.

"So since I feel better today, can we leave? I really do feel a lot better, and we're so close too, so we might as well go."

"That's what you said yesterday before you vomited on the blankets."

"Well, it's not like I planned to, it was just bad timing. C'mon, please?"

"...Let me feel your forehead first," he said, removing his glove as Naminé scooched closer to him.

He pressed the back of his hand against her brow for a few moments before he ultimately determined her fever, for the most part, to be gone.

"We'll wait a few hours to see if your condition improves," he said as he slipped his leather glove back on.

"And if it does then we'll go?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good," she smiled. "So where'd you find the medicine anyways?"

"In one of the pharmacies a few blocks south."

"Still didn't see anyone?"

Roxas shook his head.

"Damn. It still kinda scares me a little to think about a whole town just...vanishing into thin air. No explanation, no nothin' just...gone. I mean, Jesus, one day they're there, the next, all of sudden, everybody goes missing..."

"Is there something you want me to get for you?" he asked, changing the subject as he had nothing valuable to contribute to the topic at hand.

"Nah, I'm go...uh, actually, d'ya think you can get me a scarf?"

"Do you have a specific one in mind?"

"Nah, not really."

"Is that all?"

"Yep."

"All right. Be sure to drink plenty of water while I'm away, and try to eat if you can."

"I'll try. Thanks a bunch by the way."

"No need to thank me. I'm happy to help in any way I can," he assured her before he walked out of the bedroom.

Once she heard the front door close she began to wonder how she was going to keep boredom at bay while her partner was away. Maybe she could fine a movie to watch or something. Yeah, that sounded good to her.

She swung her legs over the side of the opulent bed and stood up a little too quickly as she wobbled a bit upon doing so. She waited for the room to stop spinning before she ambled into the living room and plopped down in front of the teal television stand. She opened the wooden cabinets and skimmed over the collection of DVDs neatly arranged in alphabetical order.

She stopped at one of the movies in the 'L' section as the title struck a chord with her for some unknown reason. It wasn't until she pulled it out from the rest of its siblings did she realize why:

It was _The Lion King_ ; in which the main setting was named after the world it was inspired by: the Pride Lands. The world Pence's parents were visiting on their business trip before everything changed...

She pushed the event out of her mind. She didn't have the strength to deal with it now, especially when she's still under the weather. She just wanted to enjoy the movie.

Speaking of, she might've watched the one she had in her hand before, but, of course, she couldn't remember. She decided to watch it as it seemed like an amusing kids' film.

Before she hit play, however, she brought her water bottle from the room and placed it next to her so it'd within arm's reach. She debated whether or not to search the kitchen for popcorn, but she doubted that she'd be able to keep it down anyways.

Feeling satisfied with her setup she pressed play, and crawled a few feet away from the screen as she was ready to unwind and have a fun time while she awaited Roxas' return.

* * *

"So then this'll lead straight to Radiant Garden?" Naminé asked, adjusting her ruby red scarf as she tentatively peered down the steep steps that gave way to the subway station; bleak fluorescent lights ominously flickering about below.

"Precisely," he answered, descending into the terminal, the blonde eventually following his lead.

"Huh, that's weird. Where's it?" she asked upon noticing the absence of the underground train once they reached the bottom.

"It's most likely further up ahead," he said, strolling over to the very edge of the platform before he jumped down onto the tracks; the sound of his landing reverberating throughout the grand pitch-black tunnel to her right.

He asked her if she wanted help getting down, but she turned down his offer, insisting that she was well enough to do it herself. Before they headed inside, Roxas fished something out of the side pockets of the knapsack.

"I think you may want this," he said, handing her a flashlight.

"Thanks, but when did we get this?"

"We got it while we were in the labyrinth."

"Oh, right. Fond memories... Alrighty, well, let's get a move on," she said, the duo gradually disappearing as they ventured deeper and deeper inside the concrete passageway.

"Man, so this is it, huh? We're finally in the home stretch. It's been a helluva ride, that's for fuckin' sure, but I'm glad we did it. I know-well, at least I think I said it about a week ago, but it's just kinda hard for me to comprehend the fact that we're almost there. God, I mean, just think about it: in a few hours we'll finally be in Radiant Garden..."

"May I ask you a question?"

" 'Course, go 'head."

"Have you every heard the term genocide?"

Naminé shook her head. "Can't say I have."

"What about racist?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Global warming?"

"Not in the same sentence."

"But you've heard the word Earth before, correct?"

"Yeah, but I forgot what it meant. I know that it's a planet, and it's also another word for dirt, but that's about it."

"You forgot the name of the planet of which virtually everything around you was derived from?"

"I'mma need you to define your meaning of everything for me real quick."

"Everything: pronoun; all that is existing."

"Good, we're on the same page then."

"Didn't you learn about Earth in school?"

"I dunno, probably. Why you askin'?"

First French now Earth? She didn't even recognize any of the terms that posed major issues among many of the countries, either. So far there have been no annals of genocide in any of the worlds, but that was no excuse for not knowing the word, especially as it was prevelantly used during the Holocaust. So then why didn't she know the definition of racism and global warming? Was there no racism in Twilight Town? Did they not even teach the history of Earth and its demise? Did any of the other worlds teach it?

"You gonna answer or what?" the girl asked, disrupting his inner monologue.

"I asked because I wanted to know how much you knew of Earth."

"Oh, okay... So I got another question for ya."

"Yes?"

"You said before that if you were to be destroyed, you'd explode, right?"

"Correct."

"Okay, so that kinda got me wonderin': what's gonna happen to you after I die?"

"I would automatically power off as I would've already served my purpose, and I wouldn't reactivate until someone else repeated the same procedure you did. Meanwhile in my repose my memories of you would be in the process of modification."

"Modification? Modified how exactly?"

"I'd remember the experiences I had with you, but your face would be blurred out, and your name would be replaced with Owner."

"What?! Why?!" she asked, becoming upset at the thought of him forgetting her.

"To ensure that any remorse I may have attached to your death is removed upon awakening, thus it wouldn't affect my performance with my new owner. It's nothing you should take personally."

"But-Fuckin'-That's bullshit!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing throughout the tunnel. "It's like our trip never even happened at all! And what about how much you've grown, huh?! All that fuckin' progress you made, and in the end it just gets deleted? Bull. Fucking. Shit."

"As I've said: my experiences would still be saved, but I wouldn't be able to recall your face or name. Everything else is virtually the same."

"And why shouldn't I take it personally?"

"Because the process applies to all of my future owners as well. I'm aware why you're irked about the condition, but there's nothing we can do to change it."

"Of course we can! There's always a way to change things. 'N fact we can probably get my uncle to change it... Hey, wait, didn't you say that someone'll have to do the same thing I did to make them your owner?"

"Yes."

"Don't you have to recite a couple words from a paper or somethin'? And didn't we leave it in Twilight Town?"

"No, I have it in my pocket."

"Really?"

He nodded before he reached into his camouflaged pockets, withdrawing the blue paper. Naminé focused the light on it, and sure enough when he unfolded it, the familiar three lines of text appeared before her:

ANDROID

MODEL #: 0000-0000-0001

TYPE: GUARDIAN

"Damn, that's a trip down memory lane. Man, you shoulda seen how freaked out I was when I saw a fuckin' body inside the crate. I screamed like a bitch and everythin'," she reminisced, smiling as she remembered.

"I also have something else."

"You do? Show me!"

He folded the paper again and buried it into his pocket, fishing out the other object inside.

In the palm of his hand he held out her lucky charm, still in the same condition it was when she first handed it to him for safe keeping.

"Oh, no way! You kept it all this time?" she asked incredulously.

Roxas nodded. "You never said you wanted it back, so I've been keeping it in my pocket every since."

"That's really nice of you. Thanks," she smiled.

"Do you want it now?"

"Mm... Gimme it when we're at my uncle's place."

"All right," he said, placing it back into his pocket. "Are you feeling well enough to continue walking or do you want to rest for a bit?"

"I'm good, I can keep goin'," she assured. "Y'know, I get your purpose and all, and I appreciate your concern, but you really don't have to worry about me too much. I'm a big girl after all."

"You might as well tell a fish to stop swimming; they can't help themselves."

"Yeah, guess that was a dumb thing to say."

"Indeed."

"...Yeah, okay, fuckin' thanks for the support, 's not like I was waitin' for you to say somethin' like 'No, that wasn't stupid', or some shit like that," she smirked.

"You're welcome."

"Are you-are you being sarcastic or are you being serious? It's kinda hard to tell..."

"You decide."

"No, no, no, don't pull that shit on me, mister, you better tell me," she ordered before she noticed the light catch something up ahead other than the train tracks and the inky blackness of the tunnel. She suspected it to be the missing subway that they were talking about earlier, and sure enough her suspicions were proven true as they steadily approached the metal locomotive.

There was no room for them to go around it nor over it if they even could jump more than twice their height, but luckily for them they could enter through the emergency exit door located at the very back of the subway.

"How the fuck do you open it?" she asked in irritation as there was no knob or handle to open the sliding door. Roxas came up behind her and asked her to move a little to the left while he opened the door. The blonde side-stepped out of the way before he kicked through the metal door, creating a hole large enough for him to grab the edges of it and pull the rim wider. Soon enough the opening was big enough for them to crouch under, allowing them access inside the caboose.

Upon entering they found it to be completely devoid of people, yet the articles they left behind still remained. Purses and bicycles and dolls filled the carriage, patiently lying in wait for the owners who would never return.

Car after car the set up was the same: abandoned items sitting on seats or leaning against doors, each with its own story, but all with the same lonely fate.

"Hey, d'ya know how to conduct one of these?" Naminé asked Roxas upon reaching the cab.

"Yes, but there's no power."

"Aw, that sucks. I've always wanted to see how the conductor...conducted, I guess," she said as she approached the panel decorated with different colored knobs and dials, every one of them begging her to press them. "I dunno, maybe I'll be a conductor myself one day."

"Possibly."

"So, uh, I'm guessin' by the looks of things you're gonna hafta break the window?"

He confirmed with a nod.

"All right, lemme get outta your way here real quick..." she said as she walked backwards as far away from the window as possible.

Once she was at a safe distance he launched himself headfirst out the window like a maniac, shattering the glass like a human-bullet. He rolled as he hit the ground, standing up immediately afterwards before he brushed off the tiny fragments that got on his coat. He shook his head to rid himself of the shards that were in his hair, then he called for Naminé to come out.

He caught her as she fell from the window, set her down, then they resumed their trek towards everlasting darkness.

* * *

"...So whaddya think happened to them?" the girl suddenly asked.

"Happened to who?"

"Kairi, Sora, and Riku."

"I'm not sure."

"D'ya think they're okay?"

"Possibly."

"You can be a lil' more optimistic than that."

"I am. Statistically speaking, the possibility of them dying is seventy-five percent, therefore by saying possibly it gives the impression that I'm more so leaning towards their survival without explicitly saying so."

"Seventy-five percent?!"

"Roughly, yes."

"...I hope they're safe. God, how long have we been walkin'?"

"Around two hours."

"Only two? Damn, I thought we were at least comin' up on our fourth. Well, whatever. Hey, hold on for a bit, I wanna get some food from the backpack."

* * *

 _"Achoo!"_

"Bless you," Roxas said.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"...Hey, d'ya see that?" the blonde asked as the usual darkness ahead of them was replaced with a cement wall.

"Yes."

"Why's there a wall? Shouldn't there be another terminal?"

"They most likely sealed it off."

"Why?"

"Since no one resides in The World That Never Was anymore they closed it off seeing as there was no point in having it open."

"Well, there's no point in sealing it off either."

"Perhaps they also did it to discourage trespassers from exploring the world seeing as they sudden disappearance could've occurred again."

"Mm, maybe. Either way, we're kinda fucked as of right now."

"Not necessarily."

"Oh, really? Whatchu gonna do?"

"You'll see."

"Oh-ho, confident, aren't we?"

"Very."

"Alright then, show me whatcha got," she encouraged.

He began to jog in the opposite direction of the wall, his figure disappearing altogether after a few moments.

'...He's not actually gonna do what I think he's gonna do, is he? Nah, there's no way. He's smarter than that.'

She heard the sound of fast, pounding footsteps enacting from the direction he went in.

'Oh, God, he is. All right, Naminé, whatever you do, don't laugh when he smacks into the wall. **Resist** the urge to laugh. It won't be funny. It will **not** be funny. Do **not** laugh at all costs!' she coached herself as a smile began to bloom across her face at the anticipation of what was to come.

The girl sharply bit her lip when he was only seconds away from colliding into the wall, knowing that she'd lose it when she heard the echo of his body smack into it.

Her expression shifted from barely suppressed chuckles to flat out astonishment, when, by some miracle, he actually broke **through** the barrier of cement separating them from the other side.

She walked through the opening in a daze, her mind still reeling from what she'd just witnessed.

Did that really just happen? It must've since she was now on the other side.

She shook her head to clear her mind. 'I can gawk about it later. Right now I gotta focus on what we're doin'.'

With the flashlight as their guide, the pair climbed up onto the landing, up the motionless escalator, and finally, they stepped into blinding daylight. Once her eyes had adjusted to the sudden brightness, she took a look at their new surroundings.

Instead of the bustling crowds of people walking this way and that like she'd expected, she was met with the sight of a deserted lot with tree roots cracking the edges from underneath. To their right was nature's territory, no mistake of that, but to their left was a chain link fence with rusted barbed wires lining the top. Past the fence they could see the actual urban area itself.

" ' Kay, we were a lil' bit off, but hey, we're here! We finally fuckin' made it, man!" she shouted.

"We did indeed."

"All right, so all we gotta do now is get past that, and then I guess we'll just go to the university from there. Sound good?"

"Let's do it."

"Hell yeah, that's the spirit," she beamed, "All right, so we just gotta get over the fence first."

"Leave it to me," he said before he climbed the fence, breaking off the worn wires with ease. Once he had created an opening wide enough for her, he lifted himself onto the very top and simply walked off the fence without a care in the world.

Naminé took a little while longer to get off, as she didn't have the balance of a ballerina, but as soon as her feet hit the ground she wasted no time in grabbing his hand and speeding off to the very heart of the city, her own thumping wildly as home was only a couple blocks away now.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **So we finally arrived in Radiant Garden, huh? About fucking time too. It's been fun visiting the other worlds for sure, but now we're back on track to our original goal, which was to find Ansem if y'all remember.**

 **So compared to last chapter, this one's definitely a lot more mellow, but we did learn a couple new things, so there's that. In other news, 2.8 is finally out worldwide! I can finally come out of hiding! Woo!**

 **And lastly, since this chapter was relatively short compared to the last couple chapters, and since I've been wanting to do this anyways, I've decided to add a writing exercise that gives you more insight towards Roxas and Naminé. If anyone is interested, the exercise is from the novel _Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook_ by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter. For right now I'm going to include Roxas' portion of the interview, and I'll slap Naminé's questionnaire on to another short chapter. This is just bonus content if anyone's interested, so before I do that, I'd like to thank you for reading the chapter, and I hoped you enjoyed it despite the length. Until the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Q: What is your happiest memory?**

R: The first day Naminé and I met.

 **Q: What makes you laugh so hard soda shoots out of your nose?**

R: Anything.

 **Q: What don't you want anyone to find out about you?**

R: Since 'anyone' is the term being used, and that would include my owner and those that have created me, my answer is there is nothing I don't want anyone to find out about me.

 **Q: What is the best part of your personality?**

R: Loyalty.

 **Q: What shoes do you usually wear?**

R: Boots.

 **Q: Name some things you are not very good at.**

R: Handling failures and strong emotions.

 **Q: How would your best friend describe how you look?**

R: I don't have one.

 **Q: What irritates you?**

R: Anything.

 **Q: What are you afraid of?**

R: That my lack of competence will result in the demise of my owner. In general, the inevitable death of my owner.

 **Q: Tell me about your family.**

R: I don't have any.

 **Q: What does your bedroom look like?**

R: I don't have one.

 **Q: What do you think of yourself when you look in the mirror?**

R: I don't have any thoughts.

 **Q: What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?**

R: I have yet to experience that sensation.

 **Q: Do you have a crush on anyone?**

R: I can only hold such attraction to my owner.

 **Q: What do you really, REALLY, want more than anything else in the world?**

R: To reach the zenith of my existence to further benefit my purpose.


	20. Missing

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

* * *

"So we're over here, and the university's riiiiiiight...here," Naminé stated as she slid her finger across the directory. "On the other side... No biggie, we can probably catch a train or somethin'."

"There's a monorail station a few blocks south of here that we could take," Roxas suggested upon examining the lower map displaying the monorail routes all over the city.

"Yeah, sure. Oh, hey, they have an aquarium here. We should go there sometime."

"If you'd like."

"Hell yeah, let's go tomorrow. Ooh, we should bring Uncle Ansem with us too!"

"Sure.''

"Sweet. So monorail, right?"

"Yes."

" 'Kay, let's get goin' then."

* * *

The inquisitive girl continued to stare out the window behind her as the train suddenly came to life and began to pick up speed.

"Ya think my uncle'll even recognize me? I mean, last time he saw me I was probably only, like, four or five."

"It depends. Do you look drastically different from when you were a child up until now?"

"Actually, believe it or not when I was born I had black hair, like, jet-black hair. I remember 'cause I saw a photo of it somewhere. 'Sides that, I don't think I'm that different from when I was a kid, save for height of course."

"Then he may not recognize you at first, but after you explain he may remember."

"Yeah, hopefully. So what's our stop?"

"It's the last one."

" ' Kay," she replied before she went back to surveying the city around them.

After twenty minutes she began to feel the draining sluggishness that came with the afternoon. She leaned against her companion and soon dozed off on his shoulder, the low murmurs of the other passengers and the occasional incoherent conductor on the intercom slowly fading away as time wore on. She was barely conscious when she felt him rest his head on hers, the small notion bringing a faint sense of peace; a feeling she hadn't felt for quite some time now.

* * *

Roxas rolled the shoulder Naminé was sleeping on as the intercom crackled to life, the woman informing them that they were approaching the last stop for the run.

"We're almost at our stop," he reiterated to the groggy girl.

"Oh, okay... How long was I out?" she asked before she rubbed her eyes and yawned. She took a brief sweep of their surroundings and found them to be the only ones in the car.

"Around fifteen minutes," he answered.

"Oh, okay," she grumbled before they stood up as the tram came to a wobbly stop.

Once off, the pair instantly spotted the institution just a couple blocks ahead, the letters 'URG' located on they very top left of the facade in scarlet neon lights. The building itself was a dazzling enough as it was essentially hundreds upon thousands of individual mirrors in a stunning display of rippling light.

The blonde gave a low whistle as she marveled at the sight. "It's beau..."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I was gonna sneeze, but then it went away."

"Oh, I see."

"Anyways, let's get..." She halted once more as a flyer taped against the side of one of the nearby shops caught her attention. "Hold on..." she trailed off as she began to make her way to the paper. "Holy shit, it's Kairi!" she exclaimed.

Roxas glanced at the poster and found that she was correct. Below the phrase 'HAVE YOU SEEN ME?' in all black, bold letters was a head shot of a young Kairi no older than two or three.

"Wait, they got her name wrong. It says her name is Ava Uchida. A-vah? Ah-vah? Ah, whatever. Either way, it's wrong."

"That's most likely her birth name. When she was explaining her background to us she said that her adoptive parents found her when she was still very young. She even made a point that she was incapable of speech at the time."

"Ohh, right, I forgot about that... Hey, they got a number we could call... But we don't have a phone, right... But we can call when we get to Uncle Ansem's place."

"But you don't know where she is," Roxas remarked.

"True, but we can always say that we've seen her and that she's okay."

"Do you have a way to verify that statement?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Consider this: the flyer doesn't state how she went missing, and since the sea in this world works the same way as the one in Destiny Islands, if you say that she went missing during a storm, they may believe you."

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Good thinkin'. Remind to do that when we get to Uncle's house."

"Noted."

"All right, now let's actually go," she said before she sped off towards the university, an eager smile spreading across her face as she ran as fast as she could. Her friend had no trouble catching up to her, and before she knew it they had already stepped foot inside the university.

The grand foyer had a shiny, polished granite floor and a white coffered ceiling that seemed to stretch a mile high. An extravagant white gold chandelier looked over the entrance hall, making the lobby seem all the more grand and refined.

Clusters of students and staff sprinkled the edges of the room, chattering amiably amongst themselves in leather chairs while others silently flicked away at their phones.

The girl spotted the greeter's desk, approached it, then waited for the young woman with light brown plated hair to finish up her conversation with a tan elderly man in a lab coat. She couldn't understand a word they spoke to each other, leading her to believe that they were speaking in one of the many languages Roxas had talked about earlier in the previous world.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she apologized as she spun her rotating chair to meet the pair, "What can I do for you two?"

"I was wondering if A-Dr. Wise still works here," Naminé replied, anxiously drumming her fingers along the marble counter.

The lady blinked at her question, then her emerald eyes softened ever so slightly. "You...haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" the blonde asked ingeniously.

The brunette's eyes flickered to the floor as she momentarily bit her lip.

"Dr. Otsuka," she called, the man from before stopping in his tracks on the way to the elevator.

"Yes?" he asked in a low, gravely voice.

"Could you come here for a minute, please?"

The man turned on his heel and strolled back to the desk with his gloved hands clasped behind his back.

"These two are here to see Dr. Wise..." she said in a hesitant tone.

"I see. And what business do you have with him if I may ask?" he casually questioned as he turned to the two, his oddly vivid yellow eyes teeming with curiosity.

"Uh, well, you see, I'm his niece, and this is my friend, Roxas, and we just really need to talk to him as soon as possible."

His eyes widened a bit at the mention of her being related to the doctor, "What's your name?"

"Naminé, sir."

"Eraqus' daughter, huh..."

"You knew my father?" she asked in shock.

"We were practically brothers. Him, Ansem, and I, that is. I remember, as soon as Ansem received word of your birth, he announced it to virtually the entire institution that day. He was overflowing with joy," he reminisced, shaking his head and chuckling a little at his unpoised, ecstatic behavior.

"Um, excuse me, Doctor..."

"Otsuka."

"Dr. Otsuka, excuse me if I come off as being brash, but it would mean a lot to us if you could tell us where my uncle is."

The woman behind the counter and the doctor exchanged glances, briefly engaging in a tacit conversation before he looked back at the teens in front of him.

"Dr. Wise is not here as of the moment, however, I could escort you to his home if the both of you feel comfortable in doing so," he offered.

"Oh, uh..." Naminé trailed off as she didn't expect the question so suddenly.

"Excuse us, but we'll need to talk about our decision in private," Roxas suddenly spoke.

"Of course. Please, take as much time as you need," the bald man answered.

With that, the two walked over to the side of the lobby farthest away from the nearest group.

"All right, so before you say anything, I know you're not supposed to go with strangers, but he's the only lead we have so far to find Uncle Ansem," the blonde tried to convince, "plus he said he knew him and Dad really well. Like, extremely well. He's basically a family friend."

"He could be lying."

"Why the hell would he lie to us?"

"That I'm not sure of, but it's always a possibility. More importantly, there's not enough solid evidence that supports the fact that he was close to Dr. Wise or your father."

"But he knew I was Eraqus' daughter."

"Your uncle could have a photograph of you and your father. Anyone can come up to him and ask him who the people in the picture were."

"All right, look, I get what you're sayin', but even so we got nothin' else to go on. For once, can't you just stop overthinking shit and just...relax or somethin'? Please? For me?"

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to do that."

"Well, then...let's just go with him and see what happens from there. 'Sides, if somethin' happens, I'm sure you'll think of a way out of it."

Roxas held a pensive expression for a moment. He had to be thorough about this. Her safety was his number one priority, and though it was true he could safely prevent a majority of any unforeseen conflict, he still had to be careful. At the same time he had to consider her state of mind. It's evident that she was impatient, and because of that, it could lead her to making rash decisions she wouldn't normally do under the circumstances...

"...I have one condition."

"Which is?"

* * *

"Are you really going to take them to Dr. Wise's home?" the young receptionist asked her former professor.

"No, I think I will bring them to my own home, then I will explain the situation to them there. Afterwards, I will give them the option to temporarily stay with me if they so choose. If not, I will provide them as best I can with supplies. It is the least I can do for Eraqus and Ansem. I would take them in myself, but I am well aware of the fact that I am well along in years. At best I could provide for them for a year or so."

"You've got a point..." she mused, turning her attention to the monitor in front of her as the pair returned.

"We've decided to go with you, but only if we can see some type of record that says that you aren't a sex offender. Y'know, gotta be safe and all..." Naminé said.

"Sorry, we aren't permitted to show confiden-"

"Pull it up, Aerith. I have nothing to hide after all," the professor interrupted, surprising the brunette by his nonchalant manner.

"But, Doctor, that'd be-"

"It is fine, go ahead," he insisted.

Apprehensively, she complied with his request.

"All right, come behind the desk, but only for a moment," she said. They did as they were told, skimming through his record for any questionable actions that might've been put down on his file. Although he was in the clear, one detail in particular caught the girl's interest:

'Xehanort? Wasn't that the guy from the legend Kairi told us way back when? Nah, nah, can't be... Can it?'

"Are you satisfied with your findings?" the older man asked after a few moments.

"Yup, we're good," the blonde replied, deciding to speak with Roxas about the matter concerning his first name later as she was certain that he had picked up on it too.

"Then let us be on his way," he smiled. "And Ms. Gainsborough?"

The woman lifted her head up, "Yes?"

"Tell Squall I said 'hello' for me, will you? It has been far too long since our last chat."

"I will."

"Thank you, and don't overwork yourself either."

"I won't. Have a great day, Dr. Otsuka," she said as he began to lead the two out of the building.

"And to you as well," he called over his shoulder.

Once outside, the trio made their way back to the monorail station. While waiting for the train, the man made frothy conversation with the duo to help pass the time.

"Um, Dr. Otsuka?" Naminé began.

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't happen to know of a place called Destiny Islands, would you?"

"Do I know it? Why it is my homeworld."

The flaxen-haired girl smiled, "So then you are the guy!"

Curiosity once again flickered in his eyes. " 'The guy'? Would you care to elaborate on that statement?"

"We were told a legend about a man named Xehanort who somehow made it off the islands during a hurricane."

"A legend, you say? Well, I suppose I am around the right age to be considered a legend, aren't I? In any case, thank you for enlightening me. I'll be sure to add that onto my ever-growing list of achievements."

* * *

"And here we are," Xehanort announced upon unlocking the front door to her uncle's home.

The blonde's big, indigo eyes took in the entire marvelous antechamber. She thought the outside looked fancy enough, but it didn't even hold a candle to the foyer alone...

"I have a few matters I must attend to, and after that I have some information I must tell the both of you, so, if you kindly would, please have a seat in the living room," he said before heading upstairs.

As much as she wanted to explore the house and poke through every single room, the girl managed to control her desire and forced herself to sit on the sienna brown loveseat.

"You seem excited," Roxas noted as he couldn't help but notice her leg shaking.

"A little, yeah," she replied. "Okay, a lot, but can you blame me? I mean, look around you, We're actually sitting in my uncle's house."

"I'm aware of that, yes."

"And just think: in a few moments we'll get to see him. I haven't seen him in God knows how long, and now-fuckin'-AAH! I just wanna see him!"

"...I don't think you should get your hopes up."

"Why not?"

"You saw the receptionist's reaction when you mentioned your uncle, and you heard what she said afterwa-"

"Pardon me for interrupting, but Ansem's now awake and ready to see you now," Dr. Otsuka called from the landing. "He's still recovering from a nasty fall he had a few weeks ago, hence why I'm relaying his message."

Naminé sprang up from her seat and sprinted towards the stairway, adrenaline surging through her system as her only blood relative was waiting for her on the floor above her.

Meanwhile Roxas casually stood up and strolled over to the staircase. Midway through his stride a message suddenly popped up in his mind, temporarily disabling his vision.

 **ERR: 000**

 **System shutting down...**

"What?" he murmured to himself before everything went blank.

Naminé heard a loud thud come from the base of the stairs, and as she whirled around to see the source of the sound, her world became shrouded in jarring darkness.

* * *

The low whir of a distant helicopter could be heard as vibrant azure eyes snapped open. Roxas took a brief sweep of his surroundings, and for the first time in his existence, he couldn't determine where he was. As a matter of fact, he couldn't recall the preinstalled map he had of all the known worlds; they had been deleted from his memory.

He had not the slightest idea where he was, nor where-!

"Naminé!" he suddenly called out, swiftly getting himself back on his feet. His voice carried over the vast dry desert and bounced off the tall, mountainous structures of sandy rock.

He cried out her name once more, but all he got in reply was the faint howl of the lonely wind as it swept over the desolate plateau.

Where is she? Is she safe? Is she unconscious? Is she dead? What happened? How did he get here?

Suddenly all the possibilities of her situation poured into his mind. To a human it would be the equivalent of being surrounded by television screens with different programs all playing at once at the loudest possible volume. With all these questions with no answers to them, it was almost impossible for anyone to think straight.

No, he mustn't panic. That would not solve the dilemma or make it easier. He had to take a step back and keep a level head. Firstly, he had to have a point of reference to somewhat ease his anxiety. That part was simple. If there was anything he was sure of, it was this:

No matter how far he was, no matter what lengths he had to go to, he **will** reunite with Naminé, he **will** be there to protect her, even if it took him decades to find her.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **You know that feeling when an author kills off one of the spouses in a couple you really, REALLY liked, and know you're just sorta contemplating what even is life? Fucking hell, that didn't even happen, but I still feel like I did something equally as bad as that...my precious children...**

 **Well, on the bright side, 50 fucking reviews. What the actual fuck, why. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love you guys for it, but holy fuck I didn't expect to get to 50 so quickly, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you all very much! Y'all make my day!**

 **In other news, we finally hit our 20's, woo-hoo! Never thought I'd actually write a story with 20+ chapters, but guess I was wrong. Hopefully you've enjoyed a majority of the chapters in any case.**

 **Also, Kairi's birth name being Ava in the missing paper was a little nod towards the whole Rebirth theory if some of you were able to catch that. If you're not familiar with with it, in a nutshell it's the concept that Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Riku, and Ventus are reincarnations of the Foretellers, along with Xehanort being the sixth apprentice from what I remember. Though it's confirmed that the sixth Foreteller is Luxu, for all we know he could somehow be related to Xehanort in some way; that or he could be Xehanort and Eraqus' master back in their training days. The rest of the theory is still up for debate, and it's really well thought out, so if you'd like to read more, search up 'Kingdom Hearts Rebirth Theory' and you should be all set.**

 **Okay, so even though this is a very short chapter -hell, it's even shorter than the last one- I've decided not to add the interview mentioned in the last chapter to this one. Reason being I want to keep the feeling portrayed at the end of this chapter, and I feel like adding the interview would kinda ruin it in a way. Not sure if that makes sense, but just know that Nami's interview will be coming in another chapter.**

 **Lastly, as always thank you for reading! Even though the ending was a little different than expected, I hope you still enjoyed it and continue reading. Until then!**


	21. Project Athena

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. I also do not own _The Tale of Desperaux_ or _Aesop's Fables_.**

* * *

Naminé was welcomed back into consciousness with a dull throbbing sensation in the back of her head, as if she had been struck. When she opened her eyes she was met with pitch-black darkness, which caused her heart to jump a bit in her chest.

'Where the fuck am I? How'd I get here? And where's Roxas?'

Before she called out for him a sliver of harsh light suddenly shone on her face, making her flinch from the brightness.

"Oh, hey, you're finally up," she heard a girl's voice remark, the light pouring out from behind the door as said girl opened it wider. The blonde saw her silhouette reach over and flick the switch on the wall as she sat up, becoming slowly aware of her new surroundings.

She was sitting on a queen-sized bed with thin, white linen sheets, and she also noticed a pulse oximeter clipped on her left index finger. Looking around the blinding white spacious room, it reminded her of her old one back in her homeworld, yet for some reason it felt so foreign to her. She eventually found a camera nestled in the upper right corner staring directly at her. She was being monitored.

Lastly, she looked over at the girl who was beginning to amiably saunter over to her bed. She looked to be around the same age as her; her layered oil-black bob a stark contrast to the room around them, along with her striking violet-blue eyes. She wore a close fitting gray hoodie and maroon skinny jeans with fuzzy panda slippers adorning her feet, and a fuchsia beanie with a cute owl embroided on the side of it.

"Now, I know ya got a buncha questions goin' through that pretty lil' head o' yours, but first lemme introduce myself: the name's Xion. Nice ta meetcha," she said, offering the other girl her black gloved hand to shake with a toothy smile.

"I'm Naminé," she introduced, albeit a bit slowly before shaking the girl's hand.

"Naminé, eh? Sounds cool. So, uh, back ta those questions; lay 'em on me. More than likely I can answer most of 'em," she said, plopping down on the side of the bed.

"Where am I, first of all, and how'd I get here?"

"All right, all right, so the answer ta your first question: you're in an underground facility right below the house of the fuck that put you here, which answers your second question."

"Then who brought me here?"

"The oh-so brilliant scientist, Dr. Xehanort Otsuka," she replied, her voice suddenly becoming laced with deep-rooted disdain as she spoke his name.

"What?" Naminé asked in disbelief, her heart plummeting into the pit of her stomach. "But... No, he-he wouldn't have. It doesn't make sense. We were just at my uncle's house bef-"

"Listen, I know we just met, like, twenty seconds ago, but you're gonna hafta trust me on this. 'Sides, not like I got a reason ta lie ta ya anyways."

"So then if we're underneath his house and not my uncle's, then...he lied to us?"

"Bingo. Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him," Xion said, "Brilliant my ass," she quietly added afterwards.

"But why? What's the point of keeping me here?"

"Dunno, but I do know one thing: you're gonna be here for a **long** time, babe."

"...How long've you been here?" she reluctantly asked.

"Been here my whole life," she coolly stated as she stood up and stretched her arms. "Hey, hey, no need ta look so terrified. Honestly, it could be worse. Least ya got a bed ta sleep on, right?"she pointed out, trying to be optimistic.

"...Yeah, I guess..." the flaxen-haired girl mumbled.

"Uh, hey, why don't I show ya 'round the place?" the raven-haired girl offered. "It's actually pretty big when ya first see it."

"Sure," Naminé accepted, seeing as it was better than moping about in her pool of self-pity.

"Cool, so, uh, if ya don't mind me askin' before we begin the tour, what's your uncle's name?" she asked as the blonde stepped out of her bed.

"Ansem Wise."

"Oh. Sorry for askin'."

The other girl quirked an eyebrow as she began to walk with the mysterious girl to the door. The lady at the university also acted strange when she brought up Ansem. "Sorry for what?"

Xion gave her a quizzical look. "You don't know? He died sometime back in August."

Naminé stopped dead in her tracks. "What did you say?" she quietly asked without turning to her.

The black-haired girl glanced over at her expression, and immediately regretted asking about her uncle's name upon doing so. "Ah, shit, I'm sorry. I d-"

"No, no, don't apologize. I'm actually glad someone told me," the blonde assured, though it was apparent to both of them that her smile was merely a mask. Soon enough it began to falter a bit. "Um, y'know what? I think I'm actually gonna stay in my room for a lil' longer. Rain check on that tour, though?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Xion nodded as she walked backwards towards the entrance, sensing that if she stayed any longer she would just make things awkward and uncomfortable. "Just gimme a shout whenever you're ready."

"I will. It was nice meetin' you."

"Likewise," she said before exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

"Ahahaha, holy shit, I fucked so fucking bad; fuuuuuuck..." she muttered under her breath, cursing herself for her lack of social skills.

* * *

Naminé sat in the middle of her bed with her head in her hands. She let out a deep, stressful sigh before she flopped backwards and laid there, alone, in pensive silence.

Why? Why did this have to happen now? They were so close to actually having a normal life again, but like always it seemed, they were denied that opportunity. And now it turns out their entire trip was just an illusion-a fucking fallacy. They were fucked ever since they took that first step outside the wall.

No, she had to stop that. That kind of thinking would only make things worse. Like Dad would probably say, she had to count her blessings instead of complaining about everything. She had a bed, that was one. She had shelter, that was two. She had clothes; three, and she had people to talk to so she wouldn't be lonely: Xion and-

'Holy shit, Roxas! Fuck, I totally forgot to ask her about him! Was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he even here? He's gotta be, right? Oh my God, what if he isn't and he finds out I'm not there with him? God, he'd freak the fuck out, and knowing him he'll probably find a way to blame the whole thing on himself...'

With vitality renewing her spirit, she sprung up from the bed and marched towards the door. "Hey, Xion!" she shouted upon opening the entrance, finding herself standing along the side of a white corridor.

She looked around and to her left she spotted an elevator. From the perspective of someone inside it, her room was the first door on the right, followed by two more. On the opposite side, there were three more doors, but they weren't directly parallel to the ones across from them like they should've been. Instead if one were to eliminate the hallway between them, the doors would mesh together like teeth on a zipper.

"Comin'!" she heard the ebony-haired girl exclaim before she flung open the door on the opposite side of the hallway. "Damn, that was quick. Thought you'd be in there for at least an hour or so," she said, meeting her in the middle of the passageway.

"I have a quick question," the blonde said, cutting straight to the chase, "is there anyone else here? Like, did Xehanort bring anyone else besides me?"

Xion shook her head, "Nuh-uh. Before you, it's just been me an' the old man for the most part."

"Oh..." she trailed off, bowing her head ever so slightly.

"...Hey, c'mon now. What about that tour, huh? We could still do that if ya want," she encouraged.

"...Yeah, I guess..."

"Great, all right. Let's get started then, shall we?" she smiled as she tried to lighten up the mood. While it did little to lift the blonde's spirits, Naminé appreciated the effort.

"Sure," she replied, mustering every ounce of strength she had left in her being to flash a lopsided smile.

"So, uh, to start things off: obviously, this one's your room," she awkwardly stated, pointing towards her dorm. She then moved her finger over to the next door. "And that's where the new dining room's gonna be. Might take a couple days to set it up, so there's nothin' much to see there."

Before she went over the last door on that side, the foreigner noticed a small, apprehensive pause from the girl before she spoke, "...As for that one, let's just say some things are better left in the past."

With that vague warning, she then explained the door across from it. "And that's the security room where the bastard keeps tabs on us an' makes sure we're behavin' like good noodles," she informed, waving to the camera in the corner for a bit before abruptly flicking it off.

"Then next to that is the old man's office where he keeps records of shit. By the way, if you were wonderin' about how I knew 'bout...him, it's 'cause I managed to break in without soundin' the alarm."

"Um, ya sure you wanna talk 'bout that when the camera's right there?" Naminé asked.

"Ah, it's fine. Never said how I did it, did I? Oh, and, uh, lil' word of advise: always be mindful of whatcha say or do, or else freedom'll come a lot later than we want it to be."

"Didn't ya just say to mind what we say?"

"Yessum, I sure did."

"But you literally just talked about escapin'..."

"Yeah, I know. I'm so confident that I know we'll get outta here that I just say it aloud. I'm not stupid enough to actually say how, though. Ya get it?"

"Oh, I see. Sorta..."

"Anyways, last room's mine," she said, approaching the door and opening it. "Don't got much, but feel free to take a looksie if ya want."

Naminé entered the room and found it to be an almost exact reflection of hers. The same bed with the same sheets were in the same location hers were in. The only exception was a white door almost invisible to the naked eye adjacent to her bed.

The blonde made her way across and stopped before the camouflaged door. "Ya mind if I...?" she asked, turning to the black-haired teen behind her.

"Said ya could if ya wanna," she replied.

" 'Kay, just makin' sure," she said before she turned the handle. Once she found the switch she flicked it on and blinked as the room became flooded in light. A few feet ahead of her she saw a sink with a tall mirror above it, and to her right were bland cream curtains which presumably concealed a bathtub.

"Y'know, I asked the old coot if he could buy some things to decorate the place a bit-make it less like an asylum, but he said it was fine the way it was; that there was no need to do that, an' it'd be a waste of money. Fuckin' cunt... Anyhoo, let's head to floor number two. Well, more like negative two since we're underground an' all."

Following her tour guide, the light-haired girl stepped out of the room and into the colorless elevator. She spotted another unblinking camera in the corner, its ubiquitous presence beginning to irk her.

Xion pressed the third button from the top, and when she took her hand away from the silver panel Naminé saw that there were four buttons in total:

The very top one had the letter 'G' on it, and adjacent to it was keyhole with a green rim around it. The second button simply had 'B1' with no keyhole, and the same went for the third, save for it displaying 'B2'.

As for the last button, it had the words 'CODE ORANGE' inscribed on it with another keyhole surrounded by an orange band.

"What's code orange mean?" the blonde asked as the elevator slid to a flawless stop.

"Nothin' really," she replied indifferently, stuffing her hands in her front pocket sweater as she strolled out of the elevator, "Well, it might mean somethin', but I have no fuckin' clue what it'd be. Oh, and as you can see, we're at the library."

The newcomer had to crane her neck upwards in order to take in the full height of the bookcases. They seemed to go on forever and ever. They also made up the walls of the room, and every single row was stuffed with novels of various topics and stories to the point were one would have to pry a book out with a crowbar. Then there were three grand oaken stand alone shelves that divided the room into four equal aisles.

"I've read all of these suckers already. Hell, I bet I've read 'em sixty times over. Though I gotta say the atlases are my favorite. That an' ' _The Tale of Despereaux'._ Oh, an' ' _Aesop's Fables'_ , too."

"God, there's gotta be a million books in here..." Naminé breathed.

"You'd think that, but there's only five thousand, eight hundred seventy-four."

The girl whirled around to face her, "You actually counted?" she gasped.

The sable-haired teen shrugged apathetically, "Fuck it. S'not like I got anythin' else to do anyways."

"Yeah, I see your point," she concurred as she turned back to the books. "Just kinda hard to believe, that's all."

A soft silence settled over the girls as the blonde stared and marveled at the infinite library.

"...Hey, so we should get goin' soon. Light's go out in a few," Xion informed.

"Aw, what? We have a bedtime?"

"Nah, it's just to conserve power, but I get the feelin' ya don't wanna be in pitch-black darkness in a place ya barely know."

"Damn straight."

"All right, so if ya wanna get a couple books before we leave, now's the time."

"Oh, shit, right now? Fuck, uh..." She frantically scurried to the middle shelf and plucked out the first book she could lay her hands on. " 'Kay, let's go."

"Y'know, when I said 'a few', I didn't mean right at this very moment. Ya can still go look around a bit more if ya wanna."

"Mm... Y'know what, I'm good with these. 'Sides, I can get more tomorrow."

"Whatever floats your boat," the raven-haired girl answered as they reassembled in the elevator.

"Uh, hey, so I was kinda wonderin'...since you've said before that you've been here all your life, where are your parents?" Naminé quietly asked.

"Don't got none," she flatly replied. "I also got a question for ya, though I think I already know this one, I wanna make sure: you're human, right?"

The blonde's eyes widened a bit at the bizarre question, "Yeah... Are you?" she asked as the elevator arrived at their floor.

"Nope," she said, ambling along in a leisurely manner.

"Then what are you?"

"I'll give ya a hint," Xion replied, spinning on her heel to face the teen. She changed her expression to seem as apathetic as possible and began to walk stiffly, keeping her spine straight and rigid.

"Robot?"

She broke into a goofy smile and snapped her fingers, transitioning into a finger gun. "That's right. Don't exactly act like one, do I?"

The girl shook her head. "No, not at all..."

'So if she's one, then she was probably made by Xehanort and maybe Ansem too. And if she can be so naturally carefree, then that means Roxas can too! There's no reason why he can't be just as human as her. She's living proof that androids can blend perfectly into human society.'

"Hey, ya still there?" the ink-haired girl asked, waving a hand in front of the other girl's face. The platinum blonde didn't even notice her move while she was lost in thought.

Naminé blinked before the question registered in her brain as a question. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry I spaced out a lil' there."

"No worries. I suppose it's a lil' much to digest, so I get it. Anyways, so that's the end of the tour. Y'know, in retrospect, the place isn't really that big the first time ya see it, huh. I dunno, maybe it's 'cause I've been to the Experimentation Room..."

" 'Experimentation Room'?" she blonde asked, her voice a pitch higher than usual.

"Yeah, y'know, 'Code Orange'. It's where I go every now an' then ta make sure everythin's workin' an' stuff. Like a maintenance check, I guess. Sometimes I get upgrades, but that's super rare nowadays an' it's usually nothin' to get your panties in a twist."

"Good to know, but d'ya think he might try to do an experiment on me?"

"Mm, the only thing I can think of him possibly doin' is turnin' ya into an android," she responded, folding her arms behind her head. "But I doubt it'll actually happen, so ya don't hafta worry about it," she quickly added upon seeing the girl's horrified expression.

"I hope so..." she replied, making a mental note to keep her guard up whenever he was near. "Either way, thanks for showin' me around. I really appreciate it."

"No prob, Bob," Xion smiled, "Oh, an' I can take that off your hands if ya don't mind," she said, pointing to the oximeter on her left hand.

"Oh, yeah, here," Naminé replied, removing the device from her finger and handing it over.

"Thanks," the dark-haired girl smiled as she took it and crushed it in her first without a moment of hesitation. "That'll cost the bastard a pretty penny or two. Anyways, like I said before, the lights're supposed to go out any minute now, so if ya need anythin' just say the word an' I'll come," she said as she began to walk towards her dorm.

" 'Kay. Thanks again," the blonde replied as she too approached her room.

"Like I said, no biggie. I'll catch ya later, sugar," Xion answered with a flirtatious wink before disappearing behind her door.

"See ya," the girl smiled, turning just the slightest shade red as she closed her own door.

'Well, I gotta admit it isn't too bad here. I mean, I've got the basics: food, shelter, and water, and they're free too. Don't think I'll come across a deal like that anytime soon. Plus I made a new friend. She seems pretty chill, though I get the feelin' she can kinda get a little outta control sometimes... Ah, well I guess I'll see about that. In any case Roxas still isn't here, so the first thing I gotta do when we get out is find him. Maybe Xion can tag along with us if she wants. I wonder how she and Roxas will get along. She's not really like him. 'N fact, she's kinda the opposite. That'll be fun to see. All right, so first we escape, then we find Roxas...'

'And then what? We came all this way to find Ansem, and now he's gone... What do we do? Where are we supposed to go? Maybe we can find some place to settle in? We could head back to Twilight Town... I dunno, I guess we'll figure it out when the time comes. For now I just wanna get to-

The lights embedded in the elevated ceiling simultaneously died out, leaving the girl in inky darkness.

'Bed,' she finished. She dropped down on her hands and knees so she could crawl aimlessly on the floor until she eventually found her bed. When she finally bumped into it she scurried under the thin sheets and closed her eyes.

After a few hours of tossing and turning she came to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. Even though she was one hundred percent certain that she was alone, she couldn't shake off the chilling sensation that she was being watched. She soon concluded that it was the camera in the corner that made her feel uncomfortable, but upon thinking it over she realized that wasn't the only thing keeping her from drifting off.

She was alone. That right there was the problem. Thinking about it now Roxas had always been with her when she fell asleep, and now that he wasn't there, something just felt...off; wrong even. She had gotten so used to his presence that even her own body and mind had grown accustomed to him. It was actually fascinating to think about.

She tried to compensate for his absence by hugging one of her pillows, but that didn't work. She could try to pretend and tell herself that the pillow was Roxas, but she knew better.

Naminé huffed as she sat up, resting her chin on the heel of her palm. Counting sheep didn't do shit, and neither did clearing her mind. She had to get some sleep, but nothing was working.

An idea then came to her head, making her look at the door, or at least where she thought it was. She threw the covers off herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed before she stood up and held her arms out in front of her as she blindly stumbled about. She eventually came upon a featureless wall and, after a small debate, chose to go left. She had made the right call as she felt the door frame jut out from the wall not too soon afterwards.

Reaching for the door knob, she was surprised to find it unlocked as she expected Xehanort to be the strict type, but she wasn't complaining about the fact by any means.

Once in the hallway, her inquisitiveness probed her by reminding her of the forbidden door down the corridor. No one was around. She could easily trespass without alerting anyone. Now would be the best time to investigate...

She shook the thought off, 'No, that's not what I'm here for. Right now I need to sleep.'

With her priorities straightened out, she continued to slowly make her way across the hall until she came into contact with yet another door.

Naminé knocked just loud enough to be audible. "Hey, ya awake?"

"Course I am," Xion answered tirelessly.

"Ya mind if I come in for a bit?"

"Yeah, come right in, the door's already unlocked."

"Hey, so there's actually somethin' I wanted to ask ya," the blonde said as she entered the girl's room.

"Same here actually. I was gonna save it for tomorrow, but since you're here now, might as well ask ya now. You first though. Oh, but before ya do, can you be God for a lil' bit an' turn on the lights?"

"Sure," she replied as she groped the wall for the switch before she flicked it on.

"Thanks," the onyx-haired said, sitting up in a cross-legged position.

"No problem. So I was wonderin': ya mind if I sleep over in your room for the night? I can't really fall asleep..." she sheepishly admitted, scratching her temple in slight embarrassment.

"Course I don't mind! I'm down for a sleep over anytime," she assured.

"Ya mean it?"

"Dude, trust me. If ya were in my postion, ya wouldn't reject company whenever it comes either."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry for askin' that stupid question."

"Ah, it's whatever. So, just lettin' ya know, I don't have an air mattress or anythin' so unless ya want me ta bring yours over here, we're gonna be sharin' the bed. Ya cool with that?"

"I am if you are."

"Yeah, it's fine with me. So, since you're already over there, ya mind, uh, turnin' the lights back off?"

"Not at all," Naminé said as she turned the switch downwards.

After navigating her way to the bed with the other girl's guidance (she just so happened to inherit Roxas' night vision eyes), the blonde plopped down next to her sable-haired companion.

"Thanks again. So what was the thing ya were gonna ask me?" she questioned as she pulled the blanket up to her armpits.

"You're welcome again, and since you've been outside an' all, ya don't happen to know a guy that looks like he has apple slices for hair, d'ya?"

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **Okay, so holy fuck you cannot believe how long I've waited to write that last sentence. Finally, we get some more lore. It's been a while since we had a taste, but I'm super happy I was able to work some of it into the chapter. Oh, and we also met someone new! Well, we also did in the last chapter, but I forgot to mention it in the Author's Notes, but let's not talk about my fuck up, yeah?**

 **In other news, we're creeping up on the one year anniversary! I'm still trying to wrap my head around that fact, but I'm just having a really hard time believing that. I'm not sure about you, but it doesn't really feel like a year's gone by already. Maybe it's just become so routine to me that it feels natural or something. Whatever the case, I'm glad that it's lasted this long! Hopefully y'all been enjoying the ride so far. Also, I _may be_ posting a little something else on RokuNami day, but we'll see about that. It won't be related to this story in case some of you were wondering, so just a heads up as to what to expect, or rather what not to expect I guess.**

 **Lastly, I've decided to tack Naminé's interview onto this chapter, so before I get to that, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the update! Until then!**

* * *

 **Q: What is your happiest memory?**

N: Well, this one time when I was...six, I think, my dad took me to this toy store that'd just opened up, and I remember how excited I was to go. I remember how he would always kinda hafta stoop down a lil' when he held my hand 'cause I was so small. Or maybe he was tall too... Anyways, he told me I could pick whatever toy I wanted, and for, like, an hour I ran up and down the aisles try to figuring out the perfect one, but in the end I couldn't decide, so I had him chose for me. He got me this cute yellow star charm that was as big as his palm and ever since then I'd always kept it. But it's not my happiest memory 'cause he got me somethin', it's 'cause for a lil' while he actually looked... I dunno, content, I suppose. Normally he and Mom would always be yellin' at each other, but for that brief period, he was just completely chill. I can't really remember his face all that good, but I'm pretty sure he was smilin' then, so that made me happy.

 **Q: What makes you laugh so hard soda shoots out of your nose?**

N: Honestly: dick jokes. Basically off-color humor. I grew up with my best friend bein' a guy, so he's probably to blame for that.

 **Q: What don't you want anyone else to find out about you?**

N: Hm, that's a tough one... I guess I'm gonna hafta go with not wantin' anyone to know how quick I am to bring myself down. I just don't want anyone to worry 'bout me, y'know? I know it's not exactly healthy, but I feel like I'll just become a burden to others if I let them know.

 **Q: What is the best part of your personality?**

N: Hm, well, I like to think I'm loyal to the people I trust, and that I'm relatively easy-going and easy to talk to.

 **Q: What shoes do you usually wear?**

N: Sandals, easy. Specifically the open toe ones. I like having the freedom to wiggle my toes.

 **Q: Name some things that you aren't really good at.**

N: Sports, definitely. I have zero strength and stamina. Um, recalling memories is kinda challenging sometimes too. Lastly I'mma hafta go with dealin' with stressful situations. I just kinda...freeze up when shit happens.

 **Q: How would your best friend describe how you look?**

N: Like an albino hooker. Next question, please.

 **Q: What irritates you?**

N: People who don't admit they've done anything wrong when they're caught red-handed. That shit boils my fuckin' blood. Oh, and y'know that sound when someone, like, digs into the surface of a balloon and drags their fingers across it and it makes that squeaky noise? Ugh, I fuckin' cringe just thinkin' about the sound...

 **Q: What are you afraid of?**

N: Oh, okay, we're gettin' into the deep questions now. Okay, so I'm afraid that one day I'll forget everyone I've ever cared about. I've already forgotten what my parents looked like, I don't wanna forget anyone else. That, and when everythin' goes to shit it's gonna be my fault and I won't be able to fix it or make up for it.

 **Q: Tell me about your family.**

N: Well, I can tell ya how they were like, but nothin' 'bout their appearance. All right, so my dad, when he wasn't arguing with mom, was a really nice and overall humble person. He was a really good role model for me growing up and he gave me a lot of life advice that I still use to this day. As for Mom, well... She spoke her mind, which I really admired about her, but usually what she said wasn't exactly... anyways, yeah, she said what was on her mind, and from what I remember she was no damsel-in-distress when it came to conflict. I've never seen her fight someone, but from what I heard from Dad, she musta been a pretty good fighter. Then there's my uncle. I dunno 'bout much about him, or at least I can't remember that much about him, which I kinda feel bad about. I know's he's a science professor and a scientist, so I guess he's pretty smart. I haven't seen him in a while, so I can't honestly can't say too much about him.

 **Q: What does your room look like?**

N: Like a mental asylum with white as far as the eye can see. I dunno why, but I've always liked white. I've actually been thinkin' about it for a while and I think I might know the reason now. To me it's kinda like a blank canvas: it's not what's there, but rather what it could be. Or maybe I'm puttin' too much thought into it. I dunno.

 **Q: What do you think of yourself when you look in the mirror?**

N: Well, most of the time I just wish that I was taller. My goal is to be 5' 6" before I die. That, and I kinda wish that I had some muscle instead of just being all skin and bones. Other than that, no complaints.

 **Q: What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?**

N: Ohh, here we go. Hold on, lemme rack my brain here for a sec... Ooh, okay, I got a good one! All right, so when I was in elementary school my class had a play we had to do, right? I was a peach, a good one mind ya, and I had one line. I forgot exactly what it was, but anyways, a day before the play, I got sick, so I was on, like, six different medications all at once. So forward to the day of the play: I'm stoned as fuck, and it's my turn to go up and say my line. Easy enough, right? Go on stage, say the part, then go back behind the curtains. Well, it's a lil' bit more complicated than that for the younger me that's can barely stand without swaying. So I stumble on stage and manage to recite my line no problem. So now that the hardest part is up and out of the way, I should have no trouble turning around and going backstage, right? Oh, if only that were the case. Listen, I dunno what was goin' through that tiny head of mine, maybe the cough syrup finally kicked in or somethin', but for some reason I thought I had to go to the side of the stage down the stairs that don't exist. So I basically walk off the fuckin' stage. Needless to say I cried like a bitch. See, I'm smilin' now, but I'm cringing with embarrassment on the inside.

 **Q: Do you have a crush on anyone?**

N: God, I've had too many to count... Well, if ya mean as of right now... Mm, yes, but the question isn't who it is, so I'm not sayin' any names.

 **Q: What do you really, REALLY want more than anything else in the world?**

N: Damn, I wasn't ready for that one. Um... God, it's hard to think when you're one the spot, ha ha...Uh...Um...I dunno. I mean, I'm fine with everythin' I have so far, so nothin', I guess?


	22. Project Vishnu

After the scattered applause from the small crowd around him died down, Roxas strummed the acoustic guitar for his fifth and final song before he began to sing, altering his voice to adapt the same accent he had been using since he arrived at the town:

 _We'll meet again_

 _Don't know where_

 _Don't know when_

 _But I know we'll meet again some sunny day_

 _Keep smilin' through_

 _Just like you_

 _Always do_

 _'Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away_

 _So will you please hello_

 _To the folks that I know_

 _Tell them I won't be long_

 _They'll be happy to know_

 _That as you saw me go_

 _I was singin' this song_

 _We'll meet again_

 _Don't know where_

 _Don't know when_

 _But I know we'll meet again some sunny day_

 _We'll meet again_

 _Don't know where_

 _Don't know when_

 _But I know we'll meet again some sunny day_

 _Keep smilin' through_

 _Just like you always do_

 _'Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away_

 _So will you please say hello_

 _To the folks that I know_

 _Tell them I won't be long_

 _They'll be happy to know_

 _That as you saw me go_

 _I was singin' this song_

 _We'll meet again_

 _Don't know where_

 _Don't know when_

 _But I know we'll meet again some sunny da-ay_

He closed the song with a fermata, a couple folks from the throng clapping while others tossed their dollars and coins into the hat by the musician's feet.

"Thank you, thank you," he said as he stood up from the bench he'd been sitting on. "Y'all been a great crowd. Y'all have a great day," he finished as the crowd began to disperse.

He lifted the guitar strap off his shoulder and lay the instrument on the bench behind him before he stooped down to pick up the money-filled hat. Five songs for ten twenty-five; not too shabby.

As he was zipping up the guitar case, a familiar voice rang from the other side of the street: "Hey, you!"

The spiky-haired teen swiftly zipped the case closed, pocketed the money, swung the guitar on his shoulder, and made a break for it, leaving the hat on the sidewalk.

"Stop him! Stop that boy: he stole my guitar an' hat!" the cantankerous man shouted as he aggressively pushed past the crowded street.

Once on the other end, the manager of Louie's Guitar Store bolted in the direction he saw the kid go in, hellbent on catching the punk and making him pay the price not only for stealing, but also for making him chase him all willy-nilly throughout New Orleans.

The heavy-set man peered though the window of each store he passed before moving on to the next one.

Roxas watched the man from the roof of one of the apartment buildings, waiting for him to round the block on the next street before he made his way off the top of the building onto the fire escape ladder attached to the side of the structure. Descending down the zig-zag staircase, he finally reached the metal ladder itself, climbed down, then landed on the concrete with a slap reverberating inside the alleyway.

He walked out of the dead end as if nothing had happened and casually strolled inside a nearby diner.

"Be right with ya in a sec, sugar!" a waitress called out as she passed out a pile of beignets to a chubby man who looked as if he could barely fit inside the booth.

"Sorry for tha wait. So is it just you, or ya expectin' a couple of your friends too?" a young woman with onyx hair in a low ponytail and obsidian eyes asked him.

"Just me today," he answered with a smile.

"Okay, lemme just get ya your menu real quick," she said as she extracted said item from the podium. "Alrighty then, follow me," she instructed, leading towards the back of the café where the two seater tables were.

Once he sat down, she handed him his menu, "My name's Tiana, or call me T, whateva ya like, an' I'll be your waitress for tha day. The soup of the day is crawfish bisque, which I personally buy by the gallon. So what'll ya be havin' to drink?" she asked.

"I'll take a water, please."

"Water comin' right up. Be right back 'fore ya know it," she smiled before she went into the small kitchen.

While he waited, the blond discreetly observed the other customers at the restaurant, trying to get a read on them.

The fat man from before was now accompanied by a curvy young blonde who he assumed to be either his daughter or niece. Based on their clothing, they seemed to be fairing well financially. Perhaps they were involved in politics.

Lastly there were two suspicious looking men hunched over in the tables near the entrance. One had long cornflower blue hair almost all the way down to his mid-back with cold, jade green eyes. His sturdy physique also suggested he knew his way around in a fight. Roxas would have to keep a close eye on that one. As for the platinum-blond man across from him, his icy blue eyes expressed nothing but greed and deception as he hid his filthy smile behind a fan of cards. Compared to the other man, he seemed the more relaxed of the two. Though he was tall, he wasn't well-built like his companion, suggesting he most likely relied on weapons as his method of attack.

The boy glanced out the window as he eavesdropped on the men's conversation.

"Stop that smiling. I know you have twenty-one," a low, calm voice remarked, the teen noting his non-New Orleans accent.

"Me? Smiling? Why don't be absurd!" a smooth, cunning voice answered, his accent also varying from the world norm, "In a high stakes game like this, one cannot afford to even think about the prospect of smiling."

"Do not condescend me," the other man growled.

"Oh, well you're no fun to tease..." one of them pouted, slapping his cards down on the table. "But at least I'm not the one stuck with the bill, you unlucky bastard," he said, his smirk nearly audible in his words.

"I wouldn't be saying that if you knew what horrors awaited you," one of the men stated.

"Color me intrigued, but I'm afraid you must save your wrath until after we leave."

"Here's your water, honey," Tiana announced as she set his glass down in front of the teen. "Now, ya decided whatchu wanna get, or d'ya need s'more time?"

"I'm ready."

"Alrighty, what'll it be?"

"I'll take _la soupe du jour."_

"Ooh, _p_ _arlez-vous français?"_ she questioned, arms akimbo.

 _"Oui,"_ he smiled.

"I'm surprised; nowadays all the yougins only know English. Anyways, lemme getcha that soup for ya. This your first time tryin' it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, trust me, you'll love it, sugar. I'm tellin' ya, once ya get a taste, you'll lick the entire bowl clean."

"I bet I will," he replied.

Once she'd left to check up on the other customers, he reflected on what the two men had been saying during his previous conversation:

 _"Is that her?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"A bit young, wouldn't you agree?"_

 _"Perhaps, but it's not our place to say. Young or not, he has his eyes set on her."_

 _"Well, I suppose she is of legal age..."_

* * *

"Ya enjoyed the soup?" Tiana asked after collecting the bill from the men in the front.

"Sure did," he answered.

"Glad ya liked it," she replied as she reached for the now empty bowl, "How 'bout some desert to top it off?"

"Oh, no, the soup filled me up plenty," he assured.

"Suit yourself," she said, replacing the bowl with his check and a pen. "Be sure ta swing by again, an' bring your friends too, ya hear?"

"Will do. Oh, an', uh, by the way, ya wouldn't happen to know a place called Radiant Garden, would ya, ma'am?" he questioned.

Tiana shook her head, "Can't say I do. Why d'ya ask?"

"Oh, nothin' super interestin'; I got some family there I needa go an' visit."

"Family, huh? An' you're goin' all by yourself?"

"Yessum."

"Well... I think I might know a guy who could maybe help ya. Y'know Dr. Facilier? The witch doctor?"

Roxas shook his head, "Never heard of him."

"Wish I had the pleasure," she grumbled before continuing, "See, he runs a lil' mob of mercenaries-heartless, the whole lot of 'em. All they aim for is money, an' when they want somethin' you bet they'll go to any means necessary to get it. Even tha police don't go after 'em 'cause they scared. Anyways, tha Doctor might know tha way since he's got connections in all kinds of worlds. What you'll wanna do is go down by tha alleyway between Louie's Guitar Store and Cal's Bakery on Second Street after sun down. There's an emergency exit door at tha very end that leads to their HQ. Knock on tha door seven times exactly an' say that ya wanna see the Shadow Man, an' someone'll let ya in. Ya got all that, sweet pea?"

The teen nodded, "Yes ma'am. Thank you very much."

"My pleasure, but ya better be careful. They ain't the type of folks that tolerates bein' messed 'round with, y'hear?"

"I hear ya loud an' clear, ma'am."

"Good. Hope ya find your family real soon, sugar," she said.

"Thank you. I hope so too," he replied before filling out the check as the waitress left. Though his meal all together was around five dollars, he decided to give her the ten he had. He could just make more some other time since he didn't need it to buy food or any other of the fundamentals. Once he had done that, he hoisted the guitar case on his shoulders, and left the diner, but not without giving a wave to the friendly waitress before he egressed.

Now that he had a lead towards directions to get to Radiant Garden, Roxas chose to wander around town until the designated period arrived instead of breezing through world to world the way he had been doing for the past week now.

Ever since he had woken up, he had always been on the move, constantly asking the townspeople if they knew the way to Radiant Garden. Since Naminé was no longer with him, there was no need for him to lie still and soft during hours of rest. All twenty-four hours of the day were dedicated to finding his owner.

Every single second was crucial. For all he knew she could already be dead and he could've easily prevented her death had he simply been there with her and not nautical miles away.

He had contemplated whether his sudden blackout that led him here in the first place had been a unconvenient malfunction on his part, or if perhaps Dr. Otsuka had somehow planned the event. In the end he determined the timing of his so-called crash to be too fitting-too favorable. He was likely the cause of his current situation, in fact he was almost certain of it considering his ill-timed loss of the world maps, but that only generated another question: how did he have access to tamper with his data, and why did he do so? His name was never once mentioned in the reports, therefore he shouldn't have even known of the project's existence, much less have any influence on it. Having said that, he had to remember correlation does not necessarily mean causation. There was no hard evidence that indicated that he was the perpetrator in the first place.

Though he'd like to find answers to the dilemma, his top priority was to reunite with Naminé. He had to make sure she was alive and well before anything else.

* * *

Strolling onto Second Street, Roxas noted how deserted this road was compared to the others. While First Street was shaking the entire city with its ever popular Mardi Gras festival, Second Street was all but noisy. Not a single soul stirred from the shadows. Echoes from screaming trumpets and trombones to thunderous bass drums were the only noises that could be heard in the otherwise silent avenue.

It seemed that people deliberately avoided the boulevard at night, and for good reason. No one wanted to be near a group of criminals.

Ambling further down, he eventually reached his destination located to his right. Although the position of the amber streetlight casted it in shadow, the teen knew the possibility of finding Naminé quicker lay just a couple yards ahead of him behind the solitary door.

Before he went into the alleyway, however, he raised the guitar off his shoulders and placed it leaning against the guitar store from whence it came. He had no use for it anymore, and carrying it around would just become a burden. With that, he made his way down, his footsteps reflecting not an ounce of hesitation or fear as they bounced off the brick walls surrounding him.

If the situation called for it, he had no problem taking the members out, so long as she never found out. Even if it was an act of self-defense, she would most likely still deem the action unnecessary. She firmly believed life, no matter how wrongs one has committed, to be sacred and precious. Although he saw the principle to be good in the eyes of a human, he did not share that belief. The universe is simply too vast for anything inside it to matter. Everything he has come to known will one day cease to exist. Even though he regarded this as a universal truth, he still planned on rejoining with the blonde nonetheless, for it was the purpose given to him, and what was life without purpose?

He dismissed the thought as he approached the door and raised his hand to knock seven times; no more, no less.

"I'm here to see the Shadow Man," he said as he was instructed to do.

Moments later the door slowly opened into pure darkness. With the help of his night vision eyes he made out the back of a storage room, but everything past that was beyond his line of sight.

Knowing what would happen when he went in, he took the customary pause of apprehension before he stepped inside, pretending to flinch in surprise as the door slammed shut behind him as he expected.

He then faked the second flinch as he felt a cold metal object suddenly prod the back of his head.

"If ya wanna get outta here with your dick still intact, ya would could with me without puttin' up a fight, capiche?" a man spoke behind him as he firmly grabbed his shoulder, his voice suggesting he was still relatively young, perhaps in his twenties or thirties.

"Yes, sir," Roxas replied, adding just a tinge of trepidation to his voice.

Soon enough they began to move in silence, though the period of quietude was shortly broken within the first few seconds.

"Oy, ya just had ta pick this time to come, didn't ya? Man, the boss'll be pissed when he sees me interruptin' his baby-daddy time; an' with a kid no less! Ya better actually have a good reason for wantin' ta talk to him, kid. I swear ta God, if ya only came here 'cause a friend dared ya to..." he warned, pressing the object harder against the nape of his neck.

"I didn't."

"Ya better be tellin' the truth," he grumbled as he relieved a bit of the pressure off his spine, but not all of it. After navigating between empty metal selves, they eventually came across yet another entryway.

The man knocked on the door with his foot, "Hey, Doc, ya have a patient," he called, the door soon giving way to a smoggy, low lit room that reeked of just about every hallucinogenic known to man. Inside rows of string lights pinned to the ceiling illuminated the room, barely cutting through the thick fumes.

"Thank you, my good sir," the man said to his green-eyed cohort, Roxas immediately recognizing him as the blue-haired fellow from the restaurant.

The man said nothing in return and shut the door behind them once both males were inside.

"Ah, I keep forgettin' to bring tha gas mask," the man beside him coughed as they entered.

The teen surveyed the room for a moment. First and foremost a row on ten naked women and one clothed man in the middle of the line fringed the back maroon wall, the ladies passing cigarettes and hefty blunts to each other like preschoolers sharing cookies during snack time.

The well-endowed women on both sides of the man were practically all over him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear while they slowly rubbed the bulge in his boxers.

"Did you search him?" the azure-haired man asked his cohort.

"Oh, right, forgot 'bout that part," the other man admitted, "All right, kid, y'know the drill; arm's up."

Roxas did as he was told while the faceless man patted him down. "He's clean."

"You didn't check the inside of his pants."

"...Do I gotta?" he half-whined.

"Stop acting like a child and do it," the other man chided.

"But I don't feel comfortable touchin' another guy's cock. 'Sides, I ain't no pedo-"

"For God's sake, Caroline, baby, go over there an' check him," the man at the far back ordered, his baritone voice filling every inch of the room as he spoke.

A tall, thick, hourglass-shaped woman rose from the far left of the row, her grand Afro bouncing as she walked as did her larger-than-life breasts.

She shot the teen a wink before she kneeled down and reached into his boxers. Brushing past the hair, Caroline felt around for anything pertaining to a gun or a weapon of some sort. She thought she'd discovered a bag containing spherical grenades, but it just turned out to be his gonads.

Before she took her hand out of his pants, she ran it along the length of his shaft. "Not bad," she purred, giving it a small squeeze before she extracted her hand.

The blonde avoided making eye contact with the lady as he altered the coloring of his face to appear slightly reddish as she complimented him.

"He's clear, Daddy," the dark-skinned woman stated as she spun around and marched back to her spot in line.

"Wow. I'm surprised ya didn't pop a chub," the chatty man remarked, who had moved to one of the corners of the room while Roxas underwent his inspection; his face still difficult to make out as it was now shrouded in shadow, "What, ya don't swing that way?"

"No, sir, I swing all ways."

"Whaddya call that again? Bisexual?"

"Pansexual, sir."

"Ah, gotcha."

"ENOUGH," boomed the lean boss, his amethyst eyes reflecting his irked demeanor. "Whaddya want, boy? You wanna see my tricks? You want me ta read you your future?" he asked, summoning a circle of tarot cards out of thin air; Roxas noticing his shadow squirm a bit despite the fact that the gap-toothed man had barely moved.

"No, sir, I heard that you might know the way to Radiant Garden," he answered, the shadow beginning to grow still.

"RG, huh? Yeah, I might know the way, but all things come at a price, y'know."

"...How much we talkin' 'bout?"

"How much ya got?" he shot back.

"...Twenty-five cents."

"A quarter, eh?" he remarked before he guffawed, the laughter shaking the room for a full ten seconds or so before he suddenly stopped. "Who do you think you is?" he questioned, his tone dead serious. "Saïx, take him to The Chair."

Without a moment's hesitation the blue-haired man standing behind him swiftly pinned the teen's arm between his shoulder blades, forcing it upwards with a painful amount of raw strength.

Already making plans to take the man out once they arrived in the room, Roxas fake winced and began to run his mouth, spouting empty promises in a desperate attempt to have his life spared.

"Wait, wait, wait! Please, don't! If you let me go, I'll have the money by tomorrow, I swear! Please, don't kill me!"

The boss held his hand up, cutting the blond's useless pleas off, "What's your name, boy?"

"Ventus, sir," he answered quickly.

"Ventus, who do you think I is?"

"Dr. Facilier, sir."

"You right, but there's more to me, son. You see, I got friends o' mine that got the scoop on every person with a shadow, an' right now they tellin' me you ain't exactly who you say you is. Matter a fact, they tellin' me you somethin' special, ain't that right?" he asked, leaning forward on his cane with a wicked smile.

" 'Fraid not sir. I'm just a boy tryin' a get to his family, that's all," he affirmed, trying to decipher if he was merely bluffing.

"You jus' go on an' keep playin' dumb. Meanwhile that supposed family o' yours already found a replacement for you. Hell, even if you did get there, you'll see for yourself that you're just old news."

With that, he turned to his underling, "That'll be all," he said, signaling Saïx to escort the boy to his demise.

Once the door closed behind them the teen continued to struggle and thrash about, patiently waiting for them to arrive at the designated location.

Right as the elder man had grown tired of the teen's incessant wriggling and was about to land a knockout blow, a gunshot enacted from the room they had just come out of followed by the shrieks of the ten or so ladies inside.

Saïx hastily dragged the boy into one of the many mysterious rooms, and shoved him in; the blond deciding to spare the man's life as he locked the door behind him. He was bound to be killed as soon as he walked in there anyway.

He waited until he heard him enter the other room before he kicked the door open. He was able to pick up on the conversation the two men were having, which was rarely considered a feat as they were all yelling at one another.

"Axel, what is the meaning of this?" the blue-haired man calmly questioned, trying to reason with the rogue member.

"I want out. I'm done with this shit, man. I can barely afford rent, I don't get enough sleep, I'm always on the watch for someone tryin' a jump me, I'm fed up! I can't keep doin' this anymore, dude," he surprisingly confessed, Roxas instantly recognizing the voice to belong to the man who he first met upon arriving inside.

"But was killing him necessary?" Saïx questioned.

A gun cocked.

"I don't really wanna do this, but you do **not** wanna test me. I'm already in a tight situation as it is, and I don't wanna kill any more than I hafta. Tell me honestly: if I let you go, are you gonna tell everyone else what I did?"

"... Even if I didn't it wouldn't be long until someone finds him."

"Then help me hide him."

"Do you honestly believe no one's going to notice our boss missing? And what about the ten or so ladies with us right now? How are you sure they won't sell you out?"

A clamor of feminine voices suddenly rose from within the room.

"QUIET!" the one presumed to be Axel barked, silence immediately following afterwards. "You think I don't know that? Not everyone's like you, y'know. Unlike you, some of us still consider how inhumane it is to kill another human being."

"Hypocrite. Can you not see the body in front of you? Can you not feel the gun in your hand; the very gun that ended the Doctor's life?"

"I SAID QUIET!" he shouted once more before another shot rang out followed by more screams from the women inside. Ten more consecutive shots could be heard instantly afterwards, then, nothingness.

Not long later a tall thin man with bright vermilion, shoulder-length hair slicked back into spikes burst out of the room; the dim light from behind him making it so Roxas could only make out the color of his hair. Though the lighting made it nearly impossible to tell his eye color, he could see tiny upside-down teardrops tattooed below his eyes. Based on his expression and the discussion that had just occurred, he was a bit on edge to say the least.

His eyes grew wide as he caught sight of the teen, launching towards him with his gun in tow.

"You breathe a word of this an' I'll blow your fuckin' head off, understand?" he growled, jabbing the loaded weapon into his side as he grabbed his shoulder painfully tight so as to encumber the boy.

"Understood," the blond responded, stiffening up as soon as the man touched his shoulder. It was the little things that made him appear even more human.

"All right, kid, now listen closely: we're gonna go for a lil' walk, me an' you, an' if ya even think 'bout callin' out for help or stupid shit like that I'll kill ya faster than you can even blink," he warned, his voice betraying his words as it was shaky and uneven. It made Roxas wonder if he was an actual mobster. "Now start walkin'."

The android played along and did everything the redhead commanded him, turning left and right every now and then until they reached the emergency exit leading to the outside.

Once they made it to the sidewalk Axel instructed him to go right and keep heading straight until he was told otherwise. Soon afterwards they stepped into a sketchy looking neighborhood with an apartment complex that had nearly half of its windows broken or just plain missing. Directing the teen to go inside the building, he struggled for a few seconds as he tried to grab the right key for his apartment while he held a gun in his other hand, then ordered the boy to head inside.

The heater left his side as the man stepped out in front of him, still pointing it at his young hostage. Roxas saw that he shared the same emerald eyes as Saïx along with a few other facial features, leading him to believe they were related.

"So here's the deal: you're gonna be stayin' here for a lil' while, an' while you're here, ya ain't gonna make a peep; not a goddamn sound. For now..." His eyes darted around the haywire apartment as if he didn't know where he was. He then aimed at a closet in the hallway a few feet behind him.

"You go in there for the night, an' don't even try ta think 'bout escapin'. I'll be keepin' watch."

The blue-eyed teen said nothing as he strolled over to the beige door, went inside the vacant closet, and shut the door behind him; plopping down on the wooden floor.

He heard the man walk off somewhere to his left, and through the thin slits in the door he saw him return with an armless wooden chair. He placed it in front of the closet and seated himself in it, lazily pointing his weapon at the door.

Meanwhile the boy leaned back and rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes as he had a long wait ahead of him.

Of course it would take less time to just open the door and knock the man out, but he couldn't risk the possibility of him remembering the event in the instance that he managed to shoot him, and he didn't react to the hypothetical bullet. Also considering the fact that the late boss presumably had connections in a variety of worlds, one of which could include Radiant Garden, he couldn't let word get out about him. Even if the chances of anyone believing the redhead were slim, under no circumstances could he overlook the possibility. He had to play it safe. The consequences were simply too dire.

For the moment he would sit and wait for his opportunity to come. After all, eventually everyone succumbs to sleep's comforting spell at one point or another.

* * *

"I don't get you, kid. I dunno what the hell you musta been thinkin' only bringin' a quarter to the boss," the man began, "I mean, c'mon, you've gotta be a dumbass to try that shit and think ya can get away with it."

Roxas kept quiet.

"Anyways, what's got me even more interested is why he said you were 'special'. Ya some kinda lab rat or somethin'?"

"..."

"I know ya ain't asleep, so ya can stop pretendin'."

"...No, I ain't no lab rat. Just raised a lil' different than most kids."

"Different how?"

"I was raised in a circus for one."

"Circus, eh? Like, what, your folks just left ya for the ring master ta take ya in?"

"Naw, my mom and dad were one of the performers when I came along. Only way they could make money. Turns out I was extremely flexible, so I was one of acts ever since I could learn ta listen."

"So you're a contortionist, huh?"

"Yep."

He heard the man shudder, "I dunno how some people can stand it. I mean, it looks cool, yeah, but it's just plain distrubin' to me."

"Ya learn to live with it."

"Is that so?"

"Least I did."

"So why'd ya leave?"

"Just got bored of it."

"So ya just left your parents behind like that?"

"Course not. I told 'em to come with me, but they didn't wanna."

"Why not?"

"That's personal."

"Well, since you're gonna be here a long time anyways, might as well spill the beans now."

"With all due respect, that will never happen."

"Fine, have it your way," he huffed, scratching his head with his gun as he gave a silent yawn. It wouldn't be long now until the severity of his actions would begin to dawn on him. Sure, he seemed fine now, but Roxas knew he would break soon. Everyone does at some point in their lives. It was only a matter of time and patience now. The rest was sure to follow.

* * *

After an hour had passed since he had last closed his eyes, the teen silently turned the knob and slowly opened the door; pausing for a few moments before he proceeded.

Leaving just enough room for him to squeeze by, he slipped through the narrow crack with the slickness of a snake; sneaking past his kidnapper as he quietly made his way to the door. He grabbed the twine that was tacked near the entryway, then went into the kitchen for the metal spatula he spotted earlier in the overcrowded sink.

Walking back to the hallway, he knelt down beside the man and swiftly switched the gun out for the spatula, the texture and weight of the handle similar to the weapon. A .45 Caliber Pistol. Small, but one must not judge a book by its cover. Its accuracy was superb, and it was automatic unlike most pistols. It was also used in some of Earth's military, which was also another indicator of its capabilities. An excellent find indeed.

After pocketing the gun Roxas than measured a lengthy section of the rope and bit the desired amount off. The man's eyes were wandering underneath his eyelids, indicating that he was in deep sleep. Now was the ideal time.

Taking extra care to tie it just enough to restrain him, he wrapped the twine around the leg of the chair and the area just above his ankle, and delicately tied them together. He repeated the procedure for his other leg, and for his torso he bound his upper arms along with the chest and knotted it behind him so he could not reach it easily. He saved the most tedious part for last and fastened his wrists together in front of him, stopping every once in a while when his fingers twitched.

Once the first half was done and out of the way, he moved on to the second part of his plan.

Being ever so cautious, he lifted the chair up and quietly set it a few feet to his right. He then went over to the closet door and opened it a snail's pace in case it emitted a creak. When it was wide enough he brought the chair with the unconscious redhead into the closet; setting him down with his back facing the door.

Whether he died of dehydration or whether one of the Shadow Man's henchmen came and finished him off, it was all the same to the teen. For the remaining hours or days of his life he would be left with the pungent taste of his own medicine.

As a kick in the side, Roxas also planned on taking advantage of the situation by stealing some of his possessions along with any money he should come across in the process. He was not concerned about getting caught for as soon as he stepped foot in the next world he was no longer under the jurisdiction of the New Orleans Police Department.

Ransacking room after room, he came upon a navy blue duffel bag to store all the items in, a couple extra magazines for the Glock, a baseball bat either him or Naminé could use, and a pile of cash hidden underneath the mattress. Before heading on to the next room he spotted the man's wallet underneath his desk, going over to retrieve it in case it held any money.

Upon opening it he discovered his full name to be actually be Lea Fujiwara, leading him to think every person in his former organization were all operating under an alias. Despite being New Orleans' most infamous mob, they still took the necessary precautions it seemed.

After pocketing an extra thirty-five dollars from the wallet he then moved on to the rest of the apartment.

Garnering a first-aid kit from the cabinet in the bathroom, and various imperishable foods from the kitchen, Roxas was about to take his leave until he decided to include the gas mask Lea had mentioned earlier that evening.

Visiting other worlds and such had given him an insight on the status of other cities, and to him the situation- especially the foreseeable future- seemed grim. It looked as if some of the worlds were already preparing for the prospect of a second war, and seeing as the man owned a gas mask only further confirmed the idea.

The question was why so sudden? None of the worlds they had been through ever gave the slightest hint of a possible war ensuing. Perhaps the news hadn't spread to the inner or center worlds yet? Whatever the case was, it didn't help his cause in the least.

In times like these, it was imperative that he be with his owner at all times. This was the reason he was built. Keeping his owner safe during times of war was supposed to be his forté.

To him, the war was a test to see if he was truly qualified to be worthy of the term 'guardian', or if his given role was merely a misnomer. This was a test he couldn't afford to fail. He couldn't afford to fail _**her**_ again.

* * *

Sauntering out of the thrift store sporting a new outfit comprising of a purple flannel shirt with a black tank top underneath, gray jeans, and checkered sneakers, Roxas' mind wandered back to Naminé as it always did. The same insidious questions about her well-being plagued his mind, instigating a concoction of anxiousness, guilt, and possibly- just maybe- a touch of yearning.

At any rate he had stop focusing on what he felt and keep moving. He had wasted an entire day already, and now that he was racing against the clock, he had to step up his game.

Reaching into his pocket, the blond clutched the girl's star charm, his resolution to find her strengthening as it did.

He had made a promise to give her back the lucky charm, but more importantly he swore to protect her life under any circumstances, and with every fiber of his being he intended to fulfill that oath. It was all he had to cling onto in this harsh reality, after all.

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, The Princess and the Frog, nor any of their respective characters. I also do not own ' _We'll Meet Again'_ written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles.**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **Okay, so lemme just get something out of the way really quick: so that one part with the free handjob, I think that's still within the T rating since I didn't add too much vivid imagery there, so hopefully I'm still in the clear. Please don't report this story, I means a lot to me and I spilled so much time and effort into this, please have mercy upon my sinful soul.**

 **Also, I'm sorry, I had to add that singing part to the chapter. If anyone knows me they know I'm a big music person and honestly this was the best excuse I could think of weaving it into the story. However, I didn't just choose any random song. If you don't know the historical context of the song, I suggest y'all google that shit up.**

 **Anyhoo, we learned some other stuff in the chapter too, that being a war coming to fruition, but trust me when I say that I didn't just throw that in there for dramatic effect. Rest assured there's definitely a cause, it's just hasn't been revealed yet.**

 **Lastly, holy fuck the anniversary's coming in only 2 more weeks... God, that's so weird to think about! I know I keep saying this, but it's just because it's so true. Hopefully y'all stick around until then, because I got a feeling next chapter will be a real treat for you guys.**

 **So, as always, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and maybe I'll catch your username in the next update? Guess we'll have to wait and see. Until then!**


	23. A Showdown Between Gods

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

* * *

 _ **FOUR MONTHS AND THIRTEEN DAYS LATER**_

"Ya sure ya got it?" Xion asked as she held the ladder steady for Naminé, who was currently ascending to a dangerous height.

"Yep, just keep it steady for me," she replied as she continued up the monstrous ladder.

"Will do," the raven-haired girl said, keeping a watchful eye on her companion. She smirked as she looked up at the girl's backside. " 'Til then I'll just enjoy the view. Did I ever tell ya what a _**fine**_ ass ya got?

"Uh-huh, almost every time ya see me," the blonde bluntly answered, "Hey, can ya move it a lil' bit more to the left?"

Xion slid the ladder over until Naminé told her to stop. She then climbed a rung higher than recommended in order to reach the highest shelf. She removed the thick, rightmost novel before she substituted in the seventh book of the series, which she clutched in her other hand. After the exchange, she slowly made her back down.

"Careful, don't wanna break your other arm, d'ya?" the ebony-haired teen cautioned.

"Course not, who would?"

"I dunno, probably some hardcore masochist," she guessed, shrugging.

The fair-haired girl gave a low chuckle, "Yeah, or a fuckin'-SHIT," she cursed as she wobbled, trying to restabilize herself.

"Ya good?" her friend asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm good," she eventually answered, resuming her lengthy descent. Once she safely landed on the library's tile, cream-colored floor, the pair entered the elevator and made their way to relax at their usual hangout; Xion's room.

While said girl quietly rested on the small of the blonde's back as she read her book, she decided to ask her friend a question that had been lingering on her mind since they had **that** conversation.

"So what're ya gonna say when ya see him?"

"Mm? Oh, **him**...Ah, I dunno anymore..." she responded, folding the edge of the page before she closed the novel, "Guess I'll just ask him to tell me the truth. Well, first I'll probably hug him an' ask if he's okay, then I'll tell him to explain everythin' ya told me. Hopefully he actually tells the truth this time..."

"Hey, don't get so down, man. I mean, yeah, it sucks ass when ya think ya know a guy an' it turns out ya didn't know 'em at all, but...fuck. Hold on, I had a point to this, I swear..."

"It's fine, thanks for tryin' anyways," Naminé smiled. "Man, I swear if it wasn't for ya bein' here, I woulda been bored outta my fuckin' mind."

"Same here, babe."

"...So when's your next inspection again?"

"Uh, in a couple days if all goes accordin' to schedule. I wonder if I'll get an upgrade this time; been a while since I got my last one."

"Eh, I don't think ya need any more. You're already pretty fuckin' awesome the way ya are now if ya ask me."

Xion flushed a bit, "Thanks, right back at ya. So after this ya wanna train a lil'?"

"Yeah, sure, after I finish this chapter."

" 'Kay," the sable-haired teen said, closing her indigo eyes as she solely indulged in hearing another living being breathe besides the wretched bastard. Oh, how she'd love the day he did the opposite.

* * *

"I think we're done for now. Y'know, I gotta say, your reaction time's gettin' better by tha week. Maybe if we had some actual equipment, you'd be even faster than ya are now. Either way, good job," Xion complimented, giving the breathless, sweaty girl a thumbs up.

"Thanks," she panted, flashing a lopsided smile before she gingerly touched her new bruise of the day forming underneath her right eye, "But, y'know, ya coulda gone a lil' easier on me with that punch; just sayin'," she remarked.

"I said I was sorry! 'S not like I mean for it to connect, I thought ya were gonna dodge left!"

"Well, I panicked an' went in the wrong direction. I'm gettin' better, but I'm not that good."

"Yet," the onyx-haired girl pointedly added.

"Yet, yeah. Anyways, I'm hungry as fuck; let's get dinner," the platinum-blonde said, strolling over to the door so they could make their way to the dining room across the hall.

Inside was the usual small, circular wooden table that always reminded the girl of the one she had in her old home, but instead of only one chair there were two facing each other.

Like ordinary, she went over to the dumbwaiter and pressed the button labeled 'OPEN' on the panel adjacent to it, the door sliding over to reveal a steaming hot plate of dumplings, a water bottle, and some broccoli in a small bowl.

Carefully, she lifted the tray and made sure not to trip and spill her meal all over the floor. She learned the hard way in her first week that once she got her food, she wouldn't be getting a replacement dish should something happen to it. Since it was dinner, she had to wait until the next morning to eat. Her stomach was not happy that night to say the least.

When she set her tray down on the table and began to reach for the fork, she instead found two long, thin pieces of wood.

"Where's the fork?" she asked aloud, catching her friend's attention, who had been sitting by the table waiting for the other girl to join her.

"That's why ya got the chopsticks there, sweetheart," Xion said.

"Is that what they're for?"

"You've never seen chopsticks before?"

Naminé shook her head.

"So ya don't know how ta use 'em either. Oh boy-here, lemme show ya how ta hold 'em," she offered, reaching across the table to grab the sticks. "See, whatcha wanna do is keep one inbetween your thumb an' index finger an' make sure it stays still. The other one ya kinda hold like pencil. That's the one that moves so ya can grab the food," she demonstrated, snatching one of the blonde's broccoli with ease. She then handed the chopsticks over to the girl to try for herself.

After several failed attempts, Xion grew tired of watching her unsuccessfully grasp her food, prompting her to feeding them to the teen like a parent would to their child; even telling her to say 'ah', which the girl did not appreciate one bit.

Once dinner was finished, the blonde put everything back inside the dumbwaiter save for the chopsticks. She wanted to practice using them as much as she could from now on.

Before the girl walked out of the dining room, the ink-haired teen suddenly dragged her underneath the table, telling her she wanted to show her something she thought she'd find very exciting.

Crouched beneath the table so the camera wouldn't be able to see them, Xion fished something out of the pockets of her baggy charcoal gray sweatpants and held it up for the girl to see.

Dangling in front of Naminé was a golden key with an orange bow. The girl holding it smirked at the flaxen-haired teen's surprised reaction.

"How'd ya...?"

"It was in the office," Xion answered, keeping her voice low.

"Is it for...?" The blonde pointed upwards, mimicking her level of loudness.

The oil-haired teen shook her head, "But this is good. Y'know what this means right?"

This time the human shook her head.

"Means he's startin' ta lose his edge. He may be a fossil, but his mind's as sharp as knife; least it was. Now that he forgot this, won't be long 'til he drops the other one, an' when that happens we'll be free as a bird. But, I was thinkin', since I got this, ya wanna check out the rest of tha place?"

"Hell yeah I do," Naminé stated.

"All right then. Let's go."

* * *

"Behold," Xion said as the steel doors slid open to unveil an astronomically prodigious room that was definitely double the size of the library in terms of height and width. On the very back wall a single metal door disrupted the sea of white snow surrounding it.

"What's in there?" Naminé asked her friend.

"Can't say; never been in there. However, now that we got this," she began, showing the key off with a devilish smile, "I say we find out."

"Ya sure the key'll work for tha door too?"

"Don't matter. If it doesn't I can just knock the fucker down."

"Ah, I see. So, ya take the tests here, huh?" the blonde said as the duo slowly sauntered over to the other side of the colossal room.

"Yep, though usually all the equipment an' shit's already out by the time we get here," she explained, "Y'know, I'm surprised I'm even able to walk in here without blackin' out."

"Blackin' out? Whaddya mean?"

"Well, ya see, there are certain areas I can enter at certain times, an' say that I go to a certain section of tha place at tha wrong time; the fuck put somethin' in my head that immediately shuts me off. Think of it like a shoppin' cart with lockin' wheels. Once I pass a specific area, my mind 'locks'. Ya get it?"

"Yeah, sorta."

"Yeah, an' 'cause of that, escapin's a lil' bit trickier for me. Every time I think I've made it to freedom, the lights go out an' I wake up back in my bed. Y'know, I was actually thinkin' 'bout givin' up 'til ya came," she mentioned, folding her arms behind her head, "I know I haven't said anythin' 'bout a plan yet, but that don't mean I don't got one in the works, an' ooh boy is it a big one."

"Really?"

"Yup. I'm still fine tunin' it an' all, but as soon as I'm satisfied with it I'll tell ya," Xion said as they arrived at the door, "An' now for the moment of truth," she announced before she inserted the key into the lock and turned it. It followed through with a satisfying _cli_ c _k_ , making the girls turn to each other with a wide smile on their faces before Xion pushed the door inward.

Naminé found the light switch and flipped it on, illuminating the surprisingly small room. A collage of monitors varying in size occupied a majority of the right wall, and underneath them were three computers all side-by-side with only one keyboard and mouse.

The left side of the room contained a menagerie of machines locked up behind a black metal grate, a portion of the gate seeming to serve as an unlockable entryway.

As the human wandered into the room with child-like awe, Xion immediately headed straight towards the computers. She plopped herself down in the swivel chair and turned the middle one on, which in turn activated the screens on the wall.

The blonde took notice and planted herself standing behind the other teen. "Ya got any idea what it could be?" she asked as the monitors on the wall as well as the computer displayed a message asking for a password. Without even being aware of it, she rested her chin on the girl's head and loosely wrapped her arms around her neck, hugging the girl's head.

"I got a good guess, but maybe I'll think of an even better one if I get a kiss. Whaddya say~?" she smirked.

"Mm, I'mma hafta pass on that one."

"Suit yourself," the girl shrugged, brushing off the familiar pang of disappointment that always came when she turned down offers of that caliber.

She looked down at the keyboard and found the action of typing alone would prove to be quite the ordeal. "And the letters are in another language. Sweet," she dryly said.

Naminé glanced downwards as she finished the statement. "Well shit. Ya wouldn't happen ta know whatever language that is, would ya?"

"No sirree, Bob, not a damn thing."

"Well... How 'bout we leave the computer alone for now? There's still more shit in here anyways, so let's just look around a bit," the blonde suggested.

"Well, that is the reason we came here..." Xion reluctantly conceded.

"Alrighty then, let's keep lookin' around," she said, freeing her from the hug.

"I'll be with ya in a bit, I just wanna check somethin' outside," Xion said, standing up from the chair.

" 'Kay," the girl replied, making her way deeper inside the room. At the very far back she spotted what looked to be a generator, but upon closer examination she noticed something behind it embedded in the wall.

Placing the ancient generator aside, she found that 'something' to actually be a tiny vault with a keypad on it. She cocked her head to the side and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

Curiosity took over once more as she kneeled down and began to input random numbers into the four-digit code before she turned the handle, only to have it stop mid-turn. She repeated this action four more times before she heard a faint beeping noise enact from the safe.

Had she done it? Did she just punch in the right code by mistake?

The noise grew quicker like a fluttering heartbeat, reminding her of the small cube-shaped robot they met in the last world. His name was Wall-E, wasn't it? She wondered how he was doing...

Lost in her thoughts, Naminé didn't take note of the beeping becoming insanely fast, and by the time she did, it was already too late.

* * *

Xion jumped as a sudden sharp, loud noise came from within the room along with the door immediately slamming shut. She had never heard such a sound before.

"Hey, ya okay in there?" she asked the blonde, turning the knob only to find that the door had automatically locked her out.

"Hey, ya mind unlockin' the door for me? The key should be near the computers."

Dead silence.

"Naminé?"

Just then she heard the elevator doors behind her slide open followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps.

Shit. He had found them out. Well, no worries. He couldn't do shit to her.

...But what about Naminé? Who knows what he'll do...?

The ebony-haired teen decided to take full responsibility for their actions, that way she received little, if any, punishment.

As she turned around to face the elder man, she instead found herself looking at someone else around her height wearing the most bizarre mask she had ever seen. It was oil black with large, tinted eyepieces with two odd circular pieces jutting out from the side of it and the front where the mouth would be. The person also had jet black gloves with matching colored boots along with loose jeans and a navy blue hoodie. Xion couldn't see their hair as the shadow of the hood obscured it from her vision. She couldn't see any milk jugs either, leading her to think that either they were flat-chested like her or actually a dude.

However, the fact that they were here-the fact that they knew of this facility's existence only narrowed the identity of the faceless person down to one guy:

"Well, long time no see, Venny," she greeted as casually as possible, "I see you're doin' well."

"Where is she?" he spoke, his voice calm, yet commanding; just like the old bastard.

"That's not a very nice way to greet an old friend, now is it? 'Sides, ya got a lotta explainin' to do," Xion said, crossing her arms over her chest, "But that can wait for now. Listen, I dunno how the hell ya know 'bout her, but I'm willin' to put that aside if ya can help me with somethin'. Y'know a lot more 'bout relationships than I do, so I'mma need ya to tell me all the shit ya know 'bout 'em, an' I'mma need ya to be my wingman. I wanna ask her out, but I'm afraid I might fuck it up an' say somethin' really stupid. Like, I flirt with her a lot, an' she's cool with it an' all, but I wanna let her know I'm bein' serious 'bout askin' her to my girlfriend. What should I say?"

"That is none of my concern. I'll ask one more time: where is Naminé?" he reiterated in a harsher, sharper tone.

"Well, some shitty friend ya are. First ya break your promise, an' then years later ya come back without even an apology? I even let ya off easy and just asked ya to help me get together with a cutie, y'know, like friends are _**supposed**_ to do, an' ya say ya don't give a shit! After all those years finally back up on the surface an' the only thing ya got to say to me is 'where is she?'?! Do ya have any idea how miserable I've fuckin' been?! Do ya have any idea how much I missed ya?! Ya have any idea how I felt when ya left?! We were supposed to get outta here _**together**_ **,** ya lyin' piece of shit!" she furiously yelled at her so-called friend.

All the years of pent-up resentment and heartache boiled up inside her, leaving her seething where she stood. She's never felt this pissed at anyone before, not even Xehanort.

"Well, ya know what? Why don't we settle it right now, huh? You an' me, motherfucker! One-on-fuckin'-one!" she vehemently challenged.

"I have no reason to fight you," he rationalized, the other teen noting his tight voice despite his placid words.

"Well, I do, an' if ya wanna see her ya gonna hafta go through me."

* * *

Roxas' patience was wearing **dangerously** thin. He didn't have time for needless distractions, he had to get to Naminé _**now**_. He had to make sure she was alive and uninjured, or at the very least stable mentally and physically. It had been too long since they had last seen each other, and he wanted nothing more than to just make sure that she was okay.

Behind the gas mask he conducted a quick scan of the girl standing between him and Naminé. Despite her outfit (black working boots, gray oversized sweatpants, a camouflage crop top, and a pink beanie with an owl stitched on it), his infrared vision told him she wasn't human, or at least she didn't have the body temperature of a live one. Taking into account whose home they were under, and based on the reports he had found in a file cabinet two floors above them, he came to only one reasonable conclusion:

She was an android just like him, which likely meant fighting her wasn't going to be a walk in the park. If he wasn't careful he could very well be destroyed in less than ten seconds, resulting in a catastrophic explosion what would not only disintegrate Naminé, but the entirety of Radiant Garden as well.

Luckily she, on the other hand, ran on high-voltage batteries stored deep within her body according to her blueprints, therefore in order for Naminé to live, she had to be annihilated first.

This was yet another test he couldn't afford to fail. In fact this may be the one and only time that required him to attack at his full potential depending on how skilled she was. She would be the first to witness what he was _**really**_ capable of.

* * *

"So be it," he said, his tone miraculously devoid of barely restrained anger. Just a second ago she could have sworn under that quirky mask of his he sounded impatient; hell, livid even, but now he was completely equable. Maybe he was just hiding it really well. Either way, they were in for a hell of a fight.

"That eager to get ya ass handed to ya, huh? Well, just lettin' ya know I ain't gonna hold back. I suggest ya do the same, Venny," she warned, their pupils simultaneously dilating as large as they could get. In addition, their eye color changed to a sickly golden hue, the same as their creator, meaning they possessed the purposeful intent to kill. The only other time this had happened to Roxas was back when he was face to face with that other robot, who had also tried to eliminate him.

"Oh, it's been too long since our last sparring session. Let's see how good you've gotten since then," Xion smirked as she positioned herself to launch at the blond, "Ready or not, here I come."

* * *

"I'll be sure to add that onto my ever-growing list of accomplishments," Xehanort said as the tram suddenly slid into place in front of them, its arrival bringing about a light wind that sent Naminé's flaxen hair dancing around her shoulders.

"What...?" she asked aloud as the doors slid open, allowing the passengers inside to spill out onto the platform.

How did she get here? She was just inside the Experimentation Room a few moments ago... Fuck, did she die?

"Is something wrong?" she heard a voice ask somewhere off to her left. The instant she registered who it was she whirled around to face the owner of said voice.

The girl stood there dumbstruck as her eyes landed upon Roxas, his head slightly cocked to the side the way it sometimes was when he asked her a question.

She threw herself at the blond without warning, slightly startling him as she wrapped her arms and legs around him in a koala hug and began to sob seemingly out of nowhere.

"What's wrong?" she heard Xehanort ask.

"I'm not sure," Roxas replied, returning the hug in the hope that it would partially conciliate the blonde's weeping. "We'll be back in a moment," he curtly said to the professor before he sought out a place where the two of them could talk alone.

After minutes of tears and incoherent blubbering, Naminé finally pulled herself together enough to utter an intelligible sentence.

"I missed you so much," she breathed, hiccuping a bit afterwards as she wiped away the tears streaming down her face.

He gave the girl a quizzical look, "Why would you miss me?" he asked as if the answer wasn't obvious.

"Why would I-because I care about you!" she snapped at him, "You of all people should already know that."

"I do, and I don't doubt that, but I'm not sure why you would miss someone when they never left in the first place," he replied.

"Whaddya mean? Ya were gone for God knows how long! I stopped countin' after tha second month!"

Roxas still held his questioning expression as he slowly shook his head, "That never happened. I definitely would've remembered if it did."

"It did happen! We were in Xehanort's house, I went upstairs, then I turn around 'cause I heard somethin' an' then I woke up in a dark room and ya weren't there!"

"Why would we go to Dr. Otsuka's home? Did you mean your uncle's house?"

"No, that's the thing, he tricked us by sayin' that he'd take us there, but he actually brought us to his house instead. Don't ya remember?"

Much to her dismay, he shook his head once more, "No, because we haven't gotten there yet. We were just about to get on the monorail when you suddenly started crying. You were just talking to Dr. Otsuka a couple minutes ago. Are you feeling okay?"

What the hell was going on here? She had already been though this, so why was she here again? Was this a do over? Is she getting a chance to change the past so their future would be different? Was this even real at all or was this just a dr-

"I'll be sure to add that onto my ever-growing list of accomplishments," Xehanort said as the tram suddenly slid into place in front of them, its arrival bringing about a light wind that sent Naminé's flaxen hair dancing around her shoulders.

"What the actual fuck," she abruptly stated, causing Roxas and Xehanort to turn to her with quirked eyebrows as the vulgar comment caught them off guard.

"...I have to go," she bluntly said before spinning on her feel to take off in the opposite direction. A gloved hand shot out and grabbed hold of her wrist just as she whirled around.

"Go where? Is something wrong?" Roxas asked, the sincere concern in his voice painfully pulling at her heartstrings. It sounded all too real for it to be merely a dr-

"I'll be sure to add that onto my ever-growing list of accomplishments," Xehanort said as the tram suddenly slid into place in front of them, its arrival bringing about a light wind that sent Naminé's flaxen hair dancing around her shoulders.

This time around she chose to remain silent as the doors slid open, allowing the passengers inside to spill out onto the platform. She knew what was going on here. For some reason every time she said or even thought of **that** word, she got sent back in time to right before they were about to board the monorail. She was stuck in an endless time loop and she didn't know how to get out of it. Was she supposed to just play along until the inevitable happened?

No, she couldn't do that. Even if that was what she was supposed to do, she knew she wouldn't be able to stand the long, dreary months a second time. She was grateful that Xion was there to keep her company, make no mistake of that, but there was just something about how vacant and quiet the place was that made her feel uneasy to say the very least.

So then what was she supposed to do in order to break the cycle? Explaining it to Roxas wouldn't help, he'd probably just think she'd lost it. The same thing with Xehanort if she could even bring herself to ask him. So what now? She bet Roxas would probably know what to do in a situation like this. Hell, he knew what to do in just about every damn situation. If only he were here right now to help her...

But he wasn't, and that was a fact she had to accept. After all, he wasn't always going to be there by her side 24/7. She had to think for herself this time, and although she didn't know the exact value of pi like he did, she did have her own brain. Instead of asking herself what he would do, she had to ask what **she** would do...

In all honesty, she would probably do something crazy to see if something else would change, but what exactly...?

Her blue eyes lit up as an idea popped into her head, one so over the top it actually worried her a bit that it was one of the first thoughts to come to mind. Now all she had to do was put that plan into action as soon as she arrived back in the past. God, the more she thought about it, the more it sounded like some cliché sci-fi flick. Well, whatever. In any case it would just make her story sound better when she woke up and told Xion.

Now that she had obtained an objective, she muttered the magic word just as Roxas was about to ask if something was wrong; preparing to run for it as soon as she entered the past.

Once Xehanort began to retell his sentence for the fourth time, she rocketed towards the track like a human missile just as the tram surged in, colliding into the girl with the speed and ruthlessness of an ill-tempered bull.

Everything turned black after that, and for a split second she thought she had actually killed herself until she realized that she was lying on her back on a hard, tile-like surface in inky blackness.

She then heard the sound of a door creaking open as a ray of dazzling white light suddenly shot out from behind it, blinding the blonde with its brightness as she sat up.

"Hey, sleepyhead. It's been a while, huh?" he greeted, making the girl freeze up as soon as she heard his voice.

"But now we gotta get down to business," he continued, his footfalls echoing a bit as he grew closer and closer to her, "But, 'fore that..."

He stopped in front of the teary-eyed girl and extended a helping hand for her to take, "It's nice to see ya again, Nami."

* * *

Roxas expeditiously side-stepped out of the way just in time to avoid one of Xion's fatal front flip kicks, her boot narrowly missing its designated target by a millimeter. She instantly followed up with with a blinding 360 tornado kick, but missed again as he performed a backbend to evade impact. She saw an opportunity to knock him off balance as he left himself vulnerable in a handstand; the black-haired teen executing a rear sweep at his arms.

Roxas walked backwards on his hands and managed to reach out and seize her sweeping leg before she had time to retract it.

"Oh shit," she cursed just before she suddenly found herself flying across the hangar; her back slamming into the wall with a booming thud.

He didn't let up for as soon as she fell to the ground he surprised her with a skull-shattering hammerfist and a flurry of punches that made her head snap violently every which way. He had to get in as many blows as he could as while he could. Up until a few moments ago they hadn't landed a single hit on each other, despite the fact that he had just been dodging all of hers. Yes, she was agile and she indeed had superhuman strength, but her fighting style was so easy to read and counterattack that it was below amateur. She was all offense and she constantly left herself open, plus she would lose her balance every now and then or even slip and fall while running. In all honesty he was expecting more of a challenge from her.

In any case he was done playing along in their so-called fight. It was time to end the charade once and for all.

Xion's left arm flew up to block what would've been the final blow, raising her head to reveal a Cheshire cat grin.

"That's more like it," she beamed before she moved in the blink of an eye, pinning him down with unforeseen raw force she had yet to utilize. "Gotta say, ya almost had me there, but ya made one devastatin' mistake: ya underestimated the power of revenge, my friend," she condescendingly chided right before tearing his mask off and hastily jamming her thumb into his left eye, shattering the bulletproof glass as if it were just another gel-filled eye.

It was an abnormal sensation having his vision cut in half, but he needn't worry about that at the moment. She was on top of him with her knees pinching his arms between the floor, and alarms were screaming in his head about his popped eyeball. The girl wielded an immense amount of strength that didn't allow him to simply throw her off. His legs couldn't reach her to kick her off either.

Just as she was going for the other eye, Roxas resorted to the acids stored in his stomach as a last minute distraction. He regurgitated the crawfish bisque that had been sitting in his body for the last couple months all over the teen's face, the harsh chemicals eating away at her silicone skin like bloodthirsty ants.

In her surprise she lifted some of the weight off his arms, enabling him the perfect chance to quickly throw a killer sidewinder.

Before he could connect another metal-denting punch to her face, she caught his arm and whirled him around to gain velocity, chucking the blond up to the ceiling.

As gravity took place and he began to fall, Xion ran up and launched herself off the walls to get some otherwise impossible damage in on the airborne boy.

She juggled him in the air like a volleyball, hellbent on not letting him touch the ground by any means necessary. Her sharp, lurid, golden eyes seemed to grow brighter as she managed to chip away little by little at his body. She had finally obtained the upper hand, and she was going to savor it for as long as she could.

At one point, she saw him make a desperate break for the door, which only made her smile as that gave an indication of his state of mind.

"Aw, leavin' so soon? C'mon, we're just gettin' started," she announced with the glee of a maniacal ring master, grabbing hold of his leg just before he could a lay a finger on the doorknob, hurling him to the opposite side of the room.

"Betcha wished ya didin't leave me behind, huh?" she smirked as she watched him slowly rise to his feet. "Well, ya gonna say somethin' or what?"

The teen remained silent.

"Funny, before it was always you doin' all tha talkin'..." she stated humorlessly. "...What the fuck happened to ya out there? The Venny I know woulda at least tried to explain why he left without me."

Another round of maddening silence.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Say something!" she cried out; her devil-may-care attitude cracking once more to reveal a glimpse of underlying stress.

"Who do you belong to?" he tersely asked.

"Who do I belong to? What kinda fuckin' question is that? No one!"

"Then what purpose do you serve?"

Xion shrugged, "Dunno, don't care. Just sorta do whatever whenever."

"I see. So your existence is essentially a waste of space."

A mixture of shock and hurt flashed across her face for a split second before it was replaced with a dirty smile.

"Hey, least I'm not someone's puppet that does whatever the fuck someone tells 'em to do right down to the letter."

"At least I have someone who cares about me."

The look on her face said it all. He had just struck her Acheilles' heel. It was all over.

Roxas had already won.

"Tell me: who in their right mind would ever buy a **_defective_** toy?" he asked, his biting remark cutting into the android like razor-sharp icicles. "An error like you doesn't deserve to be with someone like her."

"...You're wrong," she replied in a low, thick voice as she glowered at him, "Just 'cause I got a couple things wrong with me doesn't mean I'm useless. I'm perfect just the way I am," she stated with conviction.

"Then whoever told you that must have low standards," he crudely remarked.

"Funny ya should say that, 'cause **you** were the one who told me that, ya fuck!" she exploded, "Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with ya?! It's like you're an entirely different person!"

"Perhaps there's some truth to that."

"What?"

"For one my name is not Venny, Ven, nor Ventus. The sole reason I'm here is to find my owner and leave with her. I have no memory of you or this facility, nor do I care if I did at one point. Whoever this 'Venny' was, I'm not him. I'm warning you now that if you do not let me pass, you will be destroyed," he half-warned, half-threatened, his one good golden eye glaring daggers into her.

"I'll take my chances," she casually answered, taking up a defensive stance in front of the door. "Dunno what's gotten into ya, but ya gotta snap outta it, man. 'S no fun bein' forgotten, y'know?"

Roxas said nothing as he prepared to land the first, and hopefully only, hit.

Time was ticking by fast, and he had wasted enough of it already. The longer this went on, the longer he'd have to wait to see her. He just had to get past her, and then he could be with Naminé. That was all he had to do.

Thus, the two clashed once more to determine the superior android, relentlessly hacking away at each other with no intention to stop. This time not a shred of mercy could be found anywhere near the scene; just the primal instinct to kill with no regard whatsoever to the other's motivation, be it justifiably good or lawfully bad.

After all, humans had no problem killing each other off anyway.

* * *

Naminé blinked as she gazed upon the never-ending lush meadow speckled with glossy periwinkles and tall blazing stars; the charming rays of sun dancing between darker patches of land where cotton candy clouds provided relaxing shade.

"Nice, ain't it?" Pence remarked as she observed his friend's awestruck reaction, receiving a slow nod in reply. He then sat down cross-legged for a moment before lying spread eagle in the feathery grass, emitting a loud satisfied sigh as he did. "C'mon, lay down. The weather's gorgeous and the grass's perfect for restin'," he said closing his eyes as he folded his arms behind his head.

The blonde eventually laid down next to her brunet companion, her curious eyes taking in the vast baby blue sky and the puffy milky-white clouds resting above them. She heard the sound of an acoustic guitar playing a beautiful, relaxing tune faintly in the distance from an unknown musician, but at the moment she didn't care who was playing or where they were. It was nice.

She savored the moment for a few seconds before finally opening her mouth to ask the obvious, "Pence?"

"Yep?" he chirped.

"Are ya really here or is this just me imaginin' things?"

"Dunno, but if I had to guess it'd probably be the latter. Either way I'm here, right?"

"Yeah, I guess... So ya wanted to ask me a couple questions or somethin'?"

"Yeah, but can't we just enjoy this for a lil' bit longer? I'm really not lookin' forward to it either, so let's just chill for a bit, y'know?"

"You're startin' ta sound like Rai," Naminé chuckled.

"God, don't say that! I can already feel my brain cells dyin'," he joked, the two teens letting out a small laugh afterwards.

"So how're things with ya an' your boyfriend~?" Pence teased.

"Boy-? God, are ya still on that? I told ya we aren't datin'!"

"Still? Man, either he's takin' his time or ya gotta step up your game, girl. Make him see what he's missin'."

"God, stop talkin'; please."

"All right, all right, I'll stop, but I wanna know somethin': what's happened since I last saw ya? Anythin' crazy?"

"Oh, you have **no** idea..." she stated, dryly laughing a bit as she ended her sentence.

"Well, tell me. I wanna hear 'bout everythin'."

"Ya sure? It's a pretty long fuckin' story. Might take a good hour or two."

"Go 'head. We got all the time in the world."

"Well... Okay."

"And don't leave anythin' out either."

She didn't. From his death all the way to the dream-like situation she was in now, she told him everything. She painted every scene for him down to the very colors of their clothes. She also confessed to him about Roxas' true existence, to which, when she apologized for not letting him know earlier, he simply said, "It's fine. I forgive ya. It was probably better that I didn't know anyways," and she continued on with the story. She checked on him every now and then to see if he was still listening to her, and every single time he would say yes followed by a brief summary of what she had just described to him.

By the time she was done it was golden hour, and the warm afternoon had slowly melted into a cool twilight with a light breeze guiding the flora in a simple waltz.

"...And now I'm here, explain' the story ta ya. Man, I just wish ya coulda been there with us," she said, turning to Pence, "It..." She trailed off upon discovering that he had disappeared from her side.

"Of course..." the girl mumbled to herself, facing the coral sky. "Well, ya coulda at least said goodbye, ya goddamn...potato..." she added, shaking her head at her pathetic excuse for an insult. While she was here she might as well close her eyes and enjoy the weather while she still had something to enjoy.

She then suddenly felt her ankles and wrists being seized by gloved hands, snapping her indigo eyes open to see four Roxases simultaneously lift her off the ground and into the same door she and Pence had just come out of a few hours ago.

Instead of infinite darkness like she expected, they entered a spacious room facing the back of a tall, ebony office chair with a heavy mahogany desk sitting in front of it, and behind it an impressive floor-to-ceiling window with violet velvet curtains pushed to the sides.

The person behind the leather chair snapped their fingers, cuing the Roxi to immediately halt and set her on the scarlet rug. They then moved like a well-oiled machine to form a line, or more like wall, between Naminé and the door.

"Number eighty-three dash four hundred thirteen reporting, ma'am," the last one to her left informed, his right hand to his temple in a patriotic salute along with all four of their posture rigid. The others simply stood there, staring straight ahead without a word. "We've successfully captured the target without injury as requested."

"Thank you. You've all done wonderfully," she spoke, her voice sounding uncannily familiar. The teen also took note of the look on the Roxens' (she had honestly given up trying to figure out the plural form for Roxas) faces when she had complimented them. Just for a moment their stern masks had slipped off, revealing a tiny upwards tilt of the edges of their lips and a certain gleam in their blue eyes along with their chests swelling up in pride.

"Thank you very much for the compliment, ma'am," the quadruplets replied after regaining their composure at the exact same time.

"That will be all," she finalized before clapping twice. The four curtly bowed before filing out of the room in perfect synchronization.

"Aren't they just adorable?" the female behind the chair asked once the door had closed behind them, "Ya just say some generic shit like 'great job!' or 'good one!' an' they melt like putty. Ya can even beat one ta your heart's content yet they're still so eager ta please ya. I swear, it's like bein' praised is their fuckin' kink or somethin'. Anyways, enough 'bout them. It's interrogation time," she said, rotating to meet none other than herself. "We got some deep-ass questions to ask ourselves."

The Naminé on the floor sighed as she stood up, "Why am I not surprised?" she said, brushing off her camouflage leggings.

"Well, considerin' the shit we've been through, I think we've got a pretty valid reason," she answered, propping her elbow up on the desk while she rested her chin on the back of her hand. "But enough stallin'. Let's begin."

She heard the sound of someone flicking a switch as the room plunged into darkness, then she heard it again as the lights turned back on.

The room had completely changed from the initial regal feel as she found herself standing in the kitchen of her first home, back when her mom and dad were still with her.

She noticed her younger four-year-old self standing on the old step stool making herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, humming softly as she did.

Another figure strolled into the kitchen, but when she looked all she saw was a phosphorescent entity that constantly changed shape like it wasn't sure what to morph into.

"Hi, Mama," mini-her said, the glowing being saying nothing as it opened the fridge and took out a six-pack with human-like hands.

"When is Dad coming again?"

The organism again ignored her and went to the key rack near the door with the beers in hand.

"Don't open the door to anyone. If someone knocks, don't answer. If somethin' happens, ya know the emergency number," it said, their voice the most vague feminine voice she had ever heard.

"But you said you were going to read me a story," Naminé mentioned angrily, tailing the creature.

"Not tonight. I'll do it tomorrow."

"That's what you always say!"

"If ya keep bitchin' like that I'm not gonna read ya a story."

That silenced the girl immediately. She watched as her mother left the apartment, leaving her child alone once more.

Little Naminé huffed before heading back into the kitchen. Once she had made her dinner for the night she climbed onto the counter and grabbed a plastic cup from the cabinet. After filling it up with orange juice, she took her meal to the living room and set it on the floor.

"Man, this takes us back, doesn't it?" the other Naminé said from behind her as the smaller one began to look around for the remote. "There goes a hard-workin', dedicated single mother, ready to give her job her all so she could provide for her beloved child," she said in admiration before bursting into a fit of cackles. "Yeah right! As if she was ever dedicated to anythin'! C'mon, let's just admit it. She was a shitty person an' an even shittier mother. Hell, she never even looked at us when she talked to us!"

"...She wasn't the best, but she was all we had-"

"Oh, fuck off with that! Stop givin' her the benefit of the doubt! We hate her for not bein' the mother figure we needed! We hate her for always ignorin' us! We hate her for not even showin' any love towards her own child! Just say it already! No one's gonna know except us. C'mon, it's easy: I hate my mother. Four tiny little words," she tempted.

"That's not how Dad raised us. He said we should never hate anyone. It was okay not like someone if there was a good reason, but we should never hate," she reminded calmly. "It only leads to bad things in the end. The best we can do is forgive an' forget."

"But what if we can't forgive an' forget no matter how hard we try? Isn't it just as bad to keep the hate inside and let it fester until we overflow?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Well, then what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"I don't-"

"Oh, right, we have no fuckin' idea! Y'know, Dad's advice isn't absolute law. It's called advice for a reason. Maybe it's time we came up with our own moral code, yeah?"

"Maybe..." the girl muttered just before little-them finally discovered the remote, turning the TV on and changing the channel until she found something suitable to watch. She gasped as she recognized one of the shows she passed, tuning back to _LazyTown_ , one of her favorite shows. The two older girls decided to watch on the couch as the younger of the trio sat on the floor, her eyes glued to the screen as she mindlessly stuffed her sandwich in her tiny mouth, unaware of the pair behind her.

"...D'ya remember a time when Mama told us she loved us?" the dream Naminé asked after five or so minutes of watching the program.

They both tried to remember to the best of their ability, but in the end they came to the same conclusion: how can you remember something that never happened?

"Well, I guess we can thank her for one thing," the real Naminé began.

"Whazzat?"

"She showed us what not to become when we grew up."

"Eh, fair enough. I'll give her that. Welp, onward to the next scene."

She experienced another jarring cut to nothingness before she was hurled into the next act.

She was siting on the ledge of one of the buildings in Twilight Town overlooking a frantic sea of clamoring people running about. The night sky was filled with the shrill piercing cry of sirens and dark foreboding clouds. She recognized which night this was. This was the night when she along with countless others were robbed of their home and family.

"Why are we here? Ya gonna tell me 'bout how I coulda saved him if I had tried hard enough? Ya already know it would've been impossible considering how quick everythin' happened," she heatedly stated.

The other her smirked, "Nah, not at all. It's somethin' relatively minor, actually, but I think it should still be addressed."

"Then what is it?"

"Just watch an' you'll see," she said, pointing to where she and Roxas were in the crowd once she sat down next to her.

The girls silently watched as Roxas suddenly swooped memory-them into his arms before bolting off at a rather fast rate. After they had disappeared into a bunker, they observed the bomb plummeting down from the sky, slowly descending to the ground.

Before it hit the ground, time seemed to freeze as if someone had pressed the pause button.

"Lemme ask ya somethin'," dream Naminé began as the other one looked around in confusion, "D'ya hate him for not savin' Pence that day? I mean, he could've if he wanted to, he's fully capable of bringin' you and him along with thirty other people to safety if he tried."

"I told ya before I don't hate people."

"Okay, then lemme put it this way: d'ya blame him for his death?"

"..."

"Are ya mad at him for lettin' him die?"

"..."

"Ya can go 'head an' say it, y'know. It's only us here after all. 'Sides, isn't it natural for us to be angry at him? We're talkin' 'bout a lack of human decency here. He had the opportunity to save someone, but he didn't. He knew how much he meant to us, an' he still didn't do anythin'! If he had just done somethin' Pence would still be here with us!"

"Shut the fuck up! Ya think I don't know that? Ya think I don't wander what it'd be like if he was still alive? Ya think I don't miss him anymore?! Ya wanna hear me say it so fuckin' badly?! Fine: I **do** blame Roxas for the death of my brother, but that isn't gonna bring him back, is it? It doesn't matter who I blame 'cause in the end it ain't gonna raise him up from the dead, but I just... I still pin the blame on him, an' I don't know why. An' I've tried -I really have- to just let bygones be bygones, but for some reason there's just a part of me that can't forgive him, no matter how hard I try. So there. Ya fuckin' happy now? Ya fuckin' satisfied yet?" she crossly asked, drawing in a few deeps breaths after her passionate confession.

"After that dramatic display? Fuck yeah, I'm satisfied. But ya gotta know, I ain't just askin' for my own amusement. It's also for us to let our emotions out an' get shit off our chest. Doesn't it feel good to finally say that shit out loud, even if we're really only sayin' it to ourselves?"

"...A little..."

"See? Now, let's head on to the next part. We're actually almost done, believe it or not."

"Oh, really?"

"Mm-hmm," she confirmed just before the lights went out.

A second later she found herself situated inside the old ice cream parlor adjacent to her used to be apartment complex. She saw Greg handing a couple their banana split along with a pair of identical twin sisters pressing their eager faces against the cool glass; gaping at the variety of flavors behind it.

The small cluster of bells above the entrance chimed as the door opened.

"Ah, that's better," she heard a guy around her age sigh in relief, something in the back of her head telling her she knew the owner of the voice. Maybe a classmate from one of her old classes?

"So ya got tha money, right?" she heard a girl who was also her age ask as they strolled up to the counter. She too felt like she was supposed to know her.

"I already told ya, I have the money. Jeez, you're such a mom, I swear," a third person remarked, their voice making the blonde whirl around as quick as lightning.

Pence's friends Hayner and Olette were standing in front of the counter with Roxas behind them, who looked to be staring right at them. The second they made eye contact his eyes shifted to somewhere else.

"I thought we were supposed to be invisible," the real Naminé whispered to the other one, who was seated in front of her at the circular table.

"Never said we had to be," she shrugged. " 'Sides, I think he's checkin' us out," she smirked.

"Ah, this feels really narcissistic of me to put this in a dream..."

"Well, whatever. In any case, I think you're gonna wanna listen ta their conversation. Shit's gettin' kinda interestin'."

Naminé stopped talking and pretended to look out the window as she eavesdropped on the trio.

"...fuckin' serious?" she heard Hayner curse.

"I thought ya said ya had it covered," Olette scolded.

"Well, I thought I had enough," Roxas said.

"Didn't ya check how much ya had before ya left?"

"Course I did, I just didn't bring enough."

"Who the fuck only has specifically eleven dollars?!"

"Okay, okay, calm the hell down. Just take off the sea-salt from the order, Greg," he told the employee. "There, ya fuckin' happy now?" he sighed at his friends.

"An' here's your change," she heard Greg say, the blond thanking him as he presumably collected his money. "Jesus, I buy ya ice cream an' everythin' an' this is how ya treat me. Man, I'm never offerin' to buy ya guys anythin' again."

"Thank you, we love you, Roxas," Olette chirped as they took a seat next to the blondes' table.

"Yeah, yeah," he waved off, slumping into his chair.

Dream Naminé then suddenly tapped his shoulder, making him turn to her.

"Hey, my sister thinks you're cute an' she wants ta ask ya out," she casually informed him, earning a congratulatory 'whoo!' from Hayner in the background while Olette wolf-whistled.

"No, that's not what I said, she's lyin'," Naminé quickly dismissed, her face flushing a deep crimson.

"She's just bein' shy. So whaddya say?" she asked the boy, who remained still as a statue up until now.

"Uh..."

"Dude, just say yes!" Hayner encouraged.

"Well, I mean, if she honestly wants to..." he replied, looking over at the girl as he scratched the back of his head nervously, "I'd be down with it."

All eyes were now trained on her, anxiously awaiting her consent.

"I'm sorry, my sister was just bein' an ass. I'm sure you're a nice guy, but I'm just not really lookin' to date anyone right now," she replied, shooting the teen an apologetic smile. "Sorry..."

"It's cool," he answered.

"Medium vanilla with sprinkles?" Greg called, the brunette standing out of her chair to collect her dessert.

"Well, if ya ever change your mind, here's his number," Hayner said, handing dream-her a napkin with the blond's cell written on it in blue pen.

"When did ya...?" Roxas questioned.

"Small lemon-orange twist?" the employee called, the dirty-blond shooting out of his chair and bolting to the counter.

"Alrighty, let's get goin'," Olette said as she approached the table.

"Oh, I thought we were gonna eat it here," Roxas said.

"No, we got a train ta catch. We're goin' ta Fuu's birthday party today, remember?"

"Who's Fuu?"

"My sister!" she yelled.

"Oh, right. Wait, that's today?! I thought ya said next Saturday!"

"No, I said this Saturday. See, this is why I hafta be the mom 'cause ya always forget things."

"Well, I can't help it if I'm forgetful," he shrugged. " 'S not like I'm doin' it on purpose."

" 'Kay, I got my ice cream. Let's roll," Hayner said. "Maybe we'll see each other around?" he said to the twins.

"Maybe," the bolder of the duo replied.

"Sweet. See ya," he said before heading out the door followed by his friends.

"Almost seems too good to be true, don't it?" dream-her asked as she looked at the blue-eyed boy through the glass.

"What is?"

"Him just bein', y'know, normal. Dunno 'bout ya, but it was fascinatin' to hear him sound so casual. I mean, the Roxases I have are cute an' all, but I'd love to have one that's just human. I mean, look at him: he's hangin' out with friends, he's checkin' out chicks. He's actin' just like a normal guy his age. Isn't this what we've always wanted for him?"

Before the other girl could answer, she heard a noise come from Roxas that added another ten years to her lifespan. He was laughing, but not just any type of laughter, he was **_snorting_**. The sound was restorative to her soul. It seemed to magically wash away all of her worries and let her enjoy his laughter while it lasted.

"Ya felt that too, right? Like your soul was being cleansed?" the other her asked.

Naminé nodded.

"Man, wouldn't it be awesome if he was always like this? Ah, it's too bad this is just a dream an' all. But he's made a lot of progress in the real world, though. D'ya think he'll actually become human one day?"

"Yeah, I know he can do it. I mean, Xion did it, so why can't he?"

"Amen to that, but y'know I gotta ask: what if it doesn't happen? If he never becomes human, should we still treat him like we've been doin' or should we just start treatin' him like somethin' else?"

"Of course we're gonna treat him the same. What kinda question is that?"

"Hey, lemme remind ya that we've said stupider shit in the past. Remember that one time at the smoothie place near school? Remember what we said to the girl behind the counter after she gave us our drink? She said 'Enjoy your smoothie,' and we said 'Thanks, you too'. Fuckin' 'Thanks, you too'?!"

"Be quiet, I wasn't thinkin'!"

"Ha, clearly."

"Shut up..." Naminé muttered as she buried her face in her arms.

"Mm, not quite yet, we got one more to go before ya free ta leave."

"Already?" she asked, perking up.

"Yep. Ya ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"All right. Good luck. You're gonna need it."

With that mysterious message, the girl was sent to her final destination in the blink of an eye.

When her eyes had finally adjusted their focus, she realized she didn't recognize her surrounds. All of the other places she had been to were from her memories, but her current settings was just a sea of inky blackness with a pale, light blue radiance spilling out from behind her.

Turning around, she saw a floating Roxas inside a large glass tube filled to the brim with a beryl-tinted luminescent liquid. His cloak was zipped lower than usual so as to allow room for the metallic tubes planted in the middle of his chest. Following them upwards, they disappeared into the metal ceiling, and upon looking downwards she noticed a screen embedded into the gray platform from which the cylinder stood displaying an almost complete bar with the measurement eight-seven percent underneath it.

'Eighty-seven percent until what? Why is he hooked up to all those wires? Is it good?'

Naminé continued to stare at him while the low monotonous hum of electricity enacted from the container. His head was tilted slightly down and his eyelids were almost closed. He looked as if he was on the verge of falling asleep.

The blonde jumped as she heard someone aggressively push open what sounded to be a heavy sliding door to her. As she turned around she heard a gunshot ring out along with the sensation of part of her shoulder burning.

When she looked over at it she saw a bright red mark developing on her skin. Did she just get nicked by a bullet?

Looking over to where she heard the door opening, the shaky silhouette of a tall, lanky person in a lab coat could be seen aiming a double-barreled shotgun directly at her.

"How did you get here and who sent you?" they quickly asked, panic eminent in their voice. The woman sounded to be in her thirties or so.

"I-I don't-"

She cocked her gun as she made her way forward in brisk, bold strides, "You have one more chance to give me a valid reason. I won't miss this time."

"Ma'am, I assure you I mean no harm. I honest to God don't know how I got here or where I am," she swore, surprising herself by how even her voice sounded.

"Wrong answer," she declared right as she fired; the blonde ducking out of instinct.

The bullet cracked the glass behind her, making the bluish liquid inside drip out in fast, steady drops. She also noticed the shot from earlier leaking out some of the glowing fluid as well.

This was bad, this was really bad. What the fuck did she even want and why was she so tense?

She didn't have time to think as the woman pulled the hammer down again and shot once more. This time Naminé rolled out of the way, thankful that her training with Xion was already beginning to pay off. While her brain processed her world turning upside-down and then right-side up again, she felt a white-hot stinging pain in her calf as another boom went off.

Before she could even look at the injury the lady ran up and swung the butt off the rifle down hard on the teen's nose, a cracking sound echoing in her ears as it made contact.

She cursed profusely as she felt the area in question begin to throb with pain, the sensation so overwhelming it squeezed tears out of her child-like eyes.

Even though the water obscured her vision, she could piece together what was happening around her by the sound of heavy grunting and an object hitting and then bouncing off a surface near where Roxas was.

"Fucking...break...you...fucking...fucker!" she yelled with each blow, the hits growing faster and stronger with every passing second.

The woman only stopped for a moment when she felt something grasp her ankle. She looked down at the girl sprawled out on her stomach behind her, her grip tightening around her leg.

"Stop. Please. You don't have to do this," she pleaded, looking up at the woman as she spoke. With the light from the tank she saw the lady had dark-brown ringlets that flowed over her shoulders and ruby-red eyes behind a pair of square-shaped lenses with a metallic rim.

She raised the shotgun once more over her head like a club, making the girl flinch at the prospect of what was to come, but she didn't let go of her. The woman momentarily bit her lip before letting out a wobbly sigh, gradually lowering the weapon.

"...Tell me: why are you defending it?" she quietly asked, her sharp eyes flickering from her to Roxas.

"He's my friend," she answered as she slowly rose to her feet, wincing as a stabbing pain shot up from her leg when she put her weight on it.

" 'Friend'? You're saying this...this- **thing** is your friend?" she tartly questioned, gesturing to him as if he were a monster.

"Yes, an' he's not a thing. His name is Roxas."

"An atrocity like **it** doesn't deserve to be given a name," she pointedly stated, "Let alone exist."

"You're wrong," she dauntlessly shot back, "He's a wonderful and dedicated person. He's sav-"

" **It** is a threat to the very existence of every known and unknown species to ever roam the worlds!" she hotly proclaimed, " **It** is the worst mistake mankind has ever made! To create artificial life -a hollow impression of how a human is supposed to behave and live- is a sin against God Himself. We aren't supposed to be able to do this, we've gone too far. If we don't go back now, it'll be too late. You may not understand why I'm doing this now, but in the end this is for the good of everyone," she affirmed with certitude, drawing back the musket in preparation to strike against the glass.

"No! Please, don't do it!" Naminé entreated, hobbling over between the woman and Roxas. At this point she was just acting on raw instinct. Her mind was spinning and she was almost certain she was about to go into cardiac arrest at any second. Her leg, shoulder, and nose stung like hell, and in all honesty she just wanted to curl up in a ball and stay that way forever, but right now Roxas needed her. "He's not what you think he is! He isn't heartless!"

"...After everything you've heard, you'd still protect him...? Even if you can't understand my actions, you know you don't have a chance," the woman reasoned, pressing the end of the barrel between her eyes.

The teen shook. She struggled to keep her breathing constant and steady. She tasted something reminiscent to that of copper in her mouth. Was it the blood from her nose?

"I'll give you one last chance. Get out of my way or I will shoot," she calmly said, resting her finger on the trigger.

Should she say something? She could go on a whole rant about how life, fabricated or otherwise, was precious, but she didn't think she'd be able to do the topic justice. She wasn't a philosopher, that's just not her style. She couldn't give an inspirational, deep-thinking speech off the top of her head that would change her mind. She was just her: Naminé, a kid who would die for her friends and a moonjelly. Why?

Because that was just the type of person she was, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Roxas faked a dodge to his left as the other android swung at him, using her moment of disorientation to spin behind her and grab hold of her arms, pulling them back behind while he pushed on her back with his foot. He managed to tear off almost both of her arms out of their sockets before he had to let go in order to avoid the oncoming back kick.

She backflipped to put some distance between them, however he was right on her heels as he speedily slid across the floor and knocked her off her feet as soon as she touched the ground. He didn't give her the chance to perform a kip-up as he knew that if he didn't immediately follow up with another attack he'd be done for.

His leg was fractured at the knee, which had slowed him down significantly, but not completely. As long as he could move, he will continue to fight until she was struck down.

* * *

Xion could barely evade the boy's consecutive attacks as they whizzed by not even an inch from her body. At this rate, she would eventually walk backwards into a wall, stupidly cornering herself into her own demise.

She had to come up with a plan before she was put out of commission, and fast. He wasn't pulling punches anymore, and admittedly he was a lot more nimble than she had expected. He was moving in a phlegmatic, calculating manner as if he knew every single step she was going to take before she did, not to mention he was utilizing his body to its maximum potential; twisting and contorting at mind-boggling angles that seemed to be ripped straight out of a nightmare. It unsettled her to the core to think that her ex-friend who was once so compassionate was now trying to rip her body apart without even batting an eye. Then again it's not like she went easy on him either. Almost all the skin on his face had been torn off, leaving him with patches of dangling flesh-like silicone that reminded her of some zombie that had been raised from the grave.

"Hey, Swiss cheese, how 'bout we make a deal, yeah?" she began while bolting this way and that, stalling for time until she conjured up a plan. "Since ya wanna leave with _mamacita_ an' I wanna date her, I say we share her. I be her girlfriend an' ya be her boyfriend. Works out for tha both of us, yeah?"

"In the state you're in you'd be a burden rather than a benefit. You'll only hinder her survival," he critically responded.

"Well, in the state **you're** in you'd probably scare everyone away anyway," she fired back with a smirk.

"You'll want to look in the mirror before you talk, motormouth."

"That the best ya can come up with?"

"Oh, no, I have an entire arsenal of insults at my disposal, but I don't want to waste my ammo as it'd be an insult in itself to use them on someone who can't even face their reality without hiding behind some half-witted comment."

As the sable-haired girl hesitated for a moment to think of a retort, Roxas saw his opportunity to strike and took full advantage of the distracted android.

He slammed her head into the wall behind her with enough force to form a crater in it while also creating a massive indentation in her metallic facial structure. She didn't have time to process what was happening for with just one more blow he broke through her face out the other side of her head; a fist-sized orifice replacing what was once recognizable as a human face.

The body slumped to the ground as he removed his hand from the inside of her skull, gaining several fractures in his fingers from the heavy hit. As a precaution, he cracked open the top of her head and removed as many chips and other components as he could find before swallowing them, ensuring his victory.

A thought came over him shortly afterwards: he'd have to get rid of evidence of her existence should anyone discover the establishment. Though chances of that happening were below three percent, he simply couldn't afford the consequences.

He had an idea of how to dispose of her, but that would have to wait for now.

Roxas became a blur as he rocketed towards the door, causing more strain to his injury every two steps he took, though he payed no mind to it. Laying his hand on the knob he not only found it to be locked, but also scorching hot to the touch even through his glove. That could only mean one thing:

Fire.

Taking immediate action, he punched the door knob and lock out of the steel door, deepening the recesses in his fingers. Flinging the door open, he found the room to be almost devoured in avid ceiling-high flames; the heat radiating from the doorway alone enough to cause the average human to sweat instantaneously.

Panic ensnared him as he anxiously scanned the room for her. He looked behind the door as he recalled something blocking it while he pushed it open.

There she was. After seemingly endless months teeming with nonstop anxiety, it had finally come to an end. She was right there in front of him within arm's reach.

But why was she on the ground lying so still...?

For a fraction of a second -just for a moment- he believed the worse had happened. Even with his limitless vocabulary in a swarm of languages ranging from Elizabethan English to Persian, he found that only one word could provide nothing more than a mere glimpse of how overwhelmed he felt at that moment: inexplainable. For that moment, he was suddenly able to grasp just why humans mourned the death of those they deemed to be significant in their lives. It was a deadly compound of too many core emotions felt all at once.

He wasn't certain if it was yet another malfunction or if it was just the preprogrammed reaction he was given, but against his will he began to palpitate in terror. For the second time in his existence he had lost full control of all his functions and he couldn't stop trembling no matter how hard he tried.

It was when one of the seedlings of the inferno crawled its way near Naminé's hand was he released from his spell, taking hold of one of her arms while he dragged her out as fast as his leg allowed him move.

Once out of hell's lair, he sat the, thankfully, unconscious girl up against the wall, assessing her for whatever injuries she may have received.

She had several bruises on her face along with the back of her hand looking to have sustained a second-degree burn from the close proximity of the fire. The damage wasn't critical so as to require a skin graph, but it was likely to change pigmentation and leave a scar.

The duffel bag containing the medical supplies was in the elevator, meaning that he had to haul her across the hangar.

Upon second thought, he supposed it was actually in his favor that she was unconscious. If she were awake, his appearance would have been quite startling to her, not to mention the other android with a gaping cavity in her face. Speaking of, he was going to have to extract his now useless eye as well. Perhaps he could use a spoon from the kitchen to scoop it out.

After applying ointment and wrapping some gauze around her hand, Roxas took note of her hair length as he remembered it to be a tad shorter last time he saw her. Her wardrobe had also changed as well. She had on a pair of small, light blue, high-waisted shorts with camouflage leggings underneath that matched the other girl's crop top. On her upper body she wore a long-sleeved, stretchy lilac shirt that was slit open in the back. The only thing that hadn't changed at all were her sky-blue sandals.

He then took out the scarlet scarf that had been in an office two floors above them along with all the items they had when they first arrived at the world; the navy blue hoodie he was wearing (which was actually hers) being one of them. He methodically wrapped it around his head and part of his neck, fashioning it in such a way that it only left his right eye exposed. It was an odd look, but it was better than ripped skin and metal.

Next came the part he didn't want her to see. He would have to do it fast while she was still asleep.

Now was the time to get rid of the evidence. Every scrap of skin, every strand of hair that'd been ripped out during their brawl; it had to disappear. After that was taken care of, he then had the most crucial piece of evidence to erase; the main course.

The hair and skin was nary a problem, but he wasn't sure if the metal would dissolve. He supposed he could figure out another way around it should that problem arise.

Before going off to play the part of the garbage bin, he shut the elevator doors for added measure. Loosening the scarf around the area of his mouth, he left just enough space for him to put objects in it.

Was it a bit morbid? Perhaps so, but it had to be done. It was better safe than sorry. Besides, the only thing that really mattered was that she was alive, and they were together again.

He knew the moment would be short-lived though as the worlds outside had morphed into a ghastly place, but no matter what, he'd always be by her side for as long as she lived. He was her guardian after all.

* * *

Naminé was sad to say that she was beginning to get used to not knowing where she was when she woke up. It sounded a lot worse when she said it aloud, but alas, that was the unfortunate truth.

This time around she felt rumbling come from underneath her and something that felt like a bag sitting by her side, but at the same time she soon joyfully realized that she was no longer a prisoner in that bleak super-sized bunker.

Sitting up, she found herself seated in a plastic wagon, facing the back of someone who wore what looked to be her old hoodie with the hood up and jeans. She also noticed their abnormal gait, the way one leg was completely stiff as if they were wounded.

The blonde then took a look at her surroundings. The inky sky that she had grown to miss told her that it was well into the night, and although she didn't recognize the buildings around her, they must be in a rather desolate part of town as she didn't see anyone outside.

She soon took notice of her bandaged hand, wondering how she got it in the first place and who dressed it up. Maybe it was the unnamed person in front of her pulling her along.

"Xion?" she questioned, the lack of light making it difficult to tell if it was really her or not. The person came to a halt as she spoke, the pause casting a faint sense of suspense and unease over them like a suffocating fog. Was this actually her? It didn't seem like it if if took her this long to respond.

Before she could ask who they were, they sharply faced their left like someone had called their name.

"You need to get out as silently as possible and follow me. I'll explain everything later. In the meantime, bring the bag beside you," he instructed in a low, urgent voice. The moment she recognized the voice she nearly screamed out of excitement, but fortunately she was able to control herself and do exactly what he said.

After sneaking around from alleyway to alleyway and hiding behind dumpsters at the slightest hint of another human being around them, he eventually lead her towards the outskirts of the city into a small forested area juxtaposed to a hospital.

Once he deemed that they were far enough inside to engage in conversation without being overheard, he opened his mouth to speak as he turned to the blonde, but instead he was cut off by a sudden bear hug.

"I missed you so much," Naminé mumbled into his chest, squeezing the boy with all her might as she gripped fistfuls of his hoodie to the point where she was afraid she might rip it. This wasn't a dream, he was actually there. He was _**actually**_ right there in front of her, she was physically hugging him in the real world!

"I missed you too," she heard him say as he too lovingly embraced the girl, the tenderness in his voice calling forth every goosebump in her body to erupt out of her skin along with an entire sea of butterflies to manifest in her stomach. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"No, don't be sorry, I'm just happy that you're here," she assured him, her chest and throat tightening as she suppressed the urge to sob out of happiness and relief like the emotional wreck she was.

"...Unfortunately, I have to cut the moment short. We have to be leaving again soon."

"Wha-? How come?" she asked. "C'mon, I haven't seen ya in forever, let's just relax for a bit."

"We can't. Right now the worlds are on the brink of declaring war against each other. I managed to find out that the bombing of Twilight Town was the spark that ignited the entire fiasco," he informed.

"A war?! But why?!" she questioned, mortified at the very thought of the word.

"Simply put, the leaders of each world have lost trust in one another and are beginning to become anxious. Ever since 'the spark' as I've heard people call it, the tension between them has grown tremendously. It hasn't been revealed yet who sent the bombs, therefore a majority of them are convinced that there is a traitor in their midst."

"Well, didn't they try to talk it out first instead of just declaring war?"

"I assume they must've had several meetings, but judging by the situation now, I can only guess they must've been unsuccessful in reaffirming that faith."

"Yeah, that's just fuckin' great," the girl grumbled, "How come every time it seems like somethin' good'll happen, it turns out to be somethin' even worse?"

"I can't give you a definite answer, but I believe that is life, yes?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

"In any case, you should try to get some rest while you can."

"I'm not sleepy," she answered before glancing up at him, finding herself to be talking to a mummy with one blue eye, "Whoa, what's with the face?"

"It was just a mishap with an animal," he coolly replied, partially telling the truth in tricky words as the android was indeed a savage in battle.

"Jesus, what the hell was it?"

"A bear."

"A bear?"

"Yes."

"You fought a bear?"

"Correct."

"...I'm not sure if I should believe ya, but at the same time I can kinda see ya gettin' into shit like that an' actually winnin'. Ah, whatever, I guess. At least you're here."

Her eyes then lit up as if she'd just remembered a thought, "Oh, wait, did ya see Xion anywhere?"

He cocked his head to the side as he feigned ignorance, "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name.

"Oh, right, ya haven't met her yet, I forgot. She's another android, an' she's got short black hair an' bluish-purple eyes. Ya didn't see her when ya found me?"

Roxas shook his head, "No. When I found you, you were unconscious and the room was in flames, hence your hand."

"So that's why," she breathed, her gaze flickering from said appendage back to the blond. "Guess Xion somehow left by the time ya got there, but I don't remember the room bein' on fire... Well, least I can still move my hand. Is it gonna leave a scar?"

"Most likely, yes. Along with that, the skin on the back of your hand should become slightly discolored and calloused."

"I can live with that," she shrugged.

"I still suggest you get some sleep."

"I told ya I'm not tired. I'm kinda the opposite, actually."

"I won't be able to carry you when you feel exhausted, which is why I'm insis-"

"All right, all right, I get it," she answered with a small huff, "Let's head back an' find a comfy bench ta sleep on, yeah?"

"Actually, the city isn't an option for us."

"How come?"

"The town is under curfew, meaning that if we're caught outside we could either be arrested or shot."

"Ya serious...?"

"Yes, I've been to quite a few worlds with curfews already in effect, and I've seen what happens to those who are caught. I've even seem some beaten to death."

"Well how d'ya expect me ta sleep now that I know that?!"

"Like a baby because that's not going to happen to you. If I hear someone I'll wake you up so you'll have a head start."

"Okay, but what about you? Ya've been kinda walkin' with a limp I noticed. Can ya run?"

"No, but I'll find another way. You don't have to worry."

"Y'know I'm not gonna leave ya behind even if ya tell me to, right?"

"Yes, I'm aware."

"Good, so while we look for somewhere ta sleep, tell me 'bout what's happened to ya since we last saw each other," she said, releasing him from the hug before they started moving.

"A multitude of things: I've been shot at, taken hostage, molested," he said, listing them off his fingers as he spoke, "Not to mention I've made a couple allies and enemies here and there, I've slept with several people-"

"Wait, wait, wait: slept as in the literal meaning or as in fuck?"

"Both," he answered flatly.

"Whoa. I mean, technically you're not even a year old an' you're already gettin' head," she smirked, "So~ how was it?"

He shrugged indifferently, "Okay I suppose."

"Just okay? I thought sex was supposed to be one of the greatest feelings in the world."

"That's debatable. Nonetheless I find it interesting that you were more so concerned with my sexual encounters than the termination of my existence," he remarked, flashing just the tiniest hint of a smug smile behind the layers of cloth.

"Okay, first of all, in my defense I haven't heard any sex stories, so I was curious to know what it'd be like. Second of all, I didn't ask 'bout any of the other stuff 'cause I know now that ya can survive through shit like that. But fuckin' hell, that is still a lot of shit to go through, huh..." she trailed off, her expression gradually turning to that of guilt.

"It's not your fault if you were thinking that," Roxas stated, "I should've tried harder to convince you not to go with him."

"...Hey, you're not keepin' anythin' from me, are ya?" she asked.

"Of course not," he lied, "Why do you ask?"

" 'Cause...Xion told me 'bout this one other android who looked just like you. Like, she described your face perfectly and she hasn't even seen ya yet. She said his name was Ventus, an' I remembered this one other lady who also called you that-well, two, actually: her an' the innkeeper. Anyways, she told me how he an' her were always doin' stuff together, an' then one day durin' one of his check-ups he found a way to escape an' left her behind. You're not him, are ya?" she questioned, turning to him.

"As far as I'm aware, no. Think about it: if he escaped, then how did I come to you in a box with a letter from Dr. Wise?"

"I dunno," she sighed, "Shit's gettin' so confusin' that I don't know if Uncle Ansem even wrote the letter himself."

"How so?"

"...Apparently he died sometime back in August."

"How do you know this?"

"Xion told me. She snuck into Xehanort's office an' I guess he musta written it down somewhere or somethin'."

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Ya don't hafta apologize. Hey, I think here's a good spot," she said, coming upon a patch of soft grass. She plopped herself down before flopping backwards, hitting the ground harder than she intended to.

"Ow..."

"Would you like to use my arm as a pillow?" he asked, already laying down adjacent her.

"Yes, please," she mumbled, rolling onto the boy's upper arm. After a moment of silence consisting of staring up at the night sky, Naminé shifted onto her side while she wrapped an arm around him, adding her leg for extra security.

"If I may ask how did you get your bruises?" Roxas inquired.

"Oh, nothin' major, I got 'em from when me an' Xion were trainin'. Since we had nothin' ta do, we decided ta do that. Guess it was a good call since war's gonna break out soon, huh?"

"What kind of training did you do?"

"I dunno if there's a specific name for it, but I basically just dodge her punches while I try to put some distance between us."

"Oh, I see."

"So, where d'ya wanna go now?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Preferably wherever you are."

"Well, yeah, I thought that was already a given. C'mon, y'know what I mean."

"I've already given you my answer."

"Okay, then which world would ya wanna revisit?"

"I do have some friends in Shibuya, and it is safer over there than here."

"Alrighty, then Shibuya it is. G'night, Roxas," she yawned.

"Good night," he replied, staying alert for any indication of a potential threat. Now that he had finally reunited with her, he was determined more than ever to keep her safe and out of harm's way.

...However, for the time being he would enjoy the peace while it lasted. For now he would lay there with her in blissful silence, happy beyond words knowing that they were together once more, as they should be.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **IT IS FINISHED. (Roughly) twenty-three fucking pages, baby, whoo! Listen, I've been wanting to write that Roxas vs Xion scene since Traverse Town, and it feels so good to finally do it! I even fucking looked up moves in the _Street Fighter_ games to add in their fight, because that's how hardcore I wanted it to be. I've only written intense action scenes once in the story, so hopefully I did a semi-descent job. God, so much shit happened in this, but now my babies are back, and they're gonna fucking kill it! Haha, sorry, I'm just _really_ hyped that I've gotten to this point in the story. Out of all the chapters in the story thus far, this one is definitely my proudest without a doubt.**

 **In any case, though RokuNami day is on a Tuesday this year, happy (early) one year anniversary, everyone! I honestly didn't plan to publish this chapter on the day of the anniversary, but I'm glad it all worked out. Also happy fifteenth birthday to the franchise that many of you reading have come to know and love: Kingdom Hearts! I'd draw some commemorative fan art to celebrate, but I can't even draw a circle, so guess that's not gonna happen. I suppose the chapter will have to do instead.**

 **So, some of you may be wondering, what's next in store for our fair-haired duo? Well, guess you're going to have to wait and see in the next chapter! Until then, I hope you enjoyed this long-ass chapter, and if you wouldn't mind, leave which part was your favorite in your reviews should you choose to write one. Thank you very much for reading, and have a wonderful day/night!**


	24. Parenthood

After much thinking, Roxas was seventy percent certain he had developed a disorder equivalent to that of separation anxiety in humans. He had noticed that ever since he had found Naminé all those weeks ago he always kept her within his peripheral vision, and even if she was in another room changing or taking a shower he would begin to grow unreasonably anxious. Perhaps this was an after effect to their separation, or maybe it was the reality of war that had caused it. Whatever the case was, it had to be fixed. Though it was good that he was alert, the constant fear was less so. It impaired his thinking process.

He was broken out of his thoughts when he felt a sudden warmth envelope his back and arms encase him where he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yes?" he asked the girl behind him.

"What?"

"When you hug me you normally want something."

"Not true, I hug ya other times."

"Rarely."

"Okay, ya got me there, and yes, I did actually want somethin'."

"Which is?"

"I wanna go to this one store I saw on our way over here. It's only three stores down, I think."

"What do you want to buy?"

"Just a sketchbook and some colored pencils. I wanna get back into drawin'."

"Can you wait until tomorrow?"

"I mean, I really wanna get 'em now..."

"Fine, let's go," he said, beginning to stand up.

Naminé pulled him back to his original sitting position. "But, thing is, they got metal detectors near the entrances, so I dunno if it's safe for ya to go..."

"...How badly do you want the supplies?"

"Really bad."

"Alright then. Please be quick, curfew begins in half an hour," he reminded.

" 'Kay. Don't think it should take more than fifteen anyways," she commented, taking a twenty from the duffel bag. "See ya in a bit," the girl said as she made her way to the door.

"Be careful."

"I will," she called over her shoulder before leaving their room for the night. By tomorrow they should arrive in Shibuya if all goes according to plan, so for the evening they would rest in San Fransokyo.

After twenty-three minutes had passed with still no sign of the blonde, Roxas allowed himself to become worried. She only had seven minutes until curfew, and the second the clock struck eleven all the hotels were instructed to lock their doors. If she were caught outside, she could be thrown in jail at best, but that was wishful thinking. A number of things could happen to her out there. He couldn't lose her again.

He just couldn't.

Standing up from the bed, he hurriedly marched over to the door to begin his search for his owner. A part of him hoped that he was just overthinking the situation and that she was only late due to the line being long or some other kind of minor issue. Of course being the realist he was, that thought was almost immediately shot down. He shouldn't find solace in false hope, that was dangerous. He had to hope for the best, but brace for the worst. That was all he could do for now.

* * *

The crestfallen android stepped into the hotel room the second time shifted from ten fifty-nine to eleven o'clock.

Failure. He had patrolled around the nearby neighborhoods and strolled past the store several times, but there was still no sign of her. As usual, he ignored the lingering stares of children as they observed his abnormal appearance while he scanned the streets for her. He knew he stuck out like a sore thumb, but he still appeared somewhat human, and that was all that mattered.

When it was only two minutes until eleven he headed back to their room on the off chance she had actually returned. If she saw that he wasn't there by the time curfew came along she'd likely go out and look for him instead of staying put. Her own safety wasn't usually her top priority unlike a majority of humans, but that was Naminé as he had come to learn over the past months of knowing her.

Checking the closet and bathroom, he was once again left with a paralyzing sense of anxiety.

Why was it taking her so long? Did she run into trouble on the way to the store? What if she couldn't move? This was exactly why he was wary of letting her go! He should've walked her there and then waited for her outside. Why hadn't the thought occur to him before? Was he malfunctioning that badly already? At this rate he was bound to wound up being utterly useless to his cause. He'd be a failed experiment devoid of purpose.

No, he couldn't allow fear to dictate his thoughts. He was supposed to be the left brain: collected, logical, analytical. Naminé made up for his lack of a right brain: creative, intuitive, emotional. Their personalities completed each other to create the two halves of the human brain. That being said, they weren't solely one-sided, no one was. It was just a theme he had noticed between the two of them during their time together.

That aside, Naminé was still missing, and although she wasn't entirely helpless, the probability of her survival was lower than he'd like it to be.

While in the daytime the people tried to maintain the healthy facade of a tranquil civilization, the night ran amok with the filthy rats of society, preying on the meek and defenseless. What with times of war, some no longer felt the need to abide by the rules of morality as they assumed it was a universal truth the second war begun chaos would break out in the streets, unveiling unforeseen murderers and deep-seated demons in the most innocent of people.

Although some worlds have fallen into that type of state on a day-and-night basis, a slew of others have managed to sustain the expected behavior of a civilized species, Shibuya being one of them. Of course one day the city was fated to fall into corruption, but until that time came they would rest easy knowing that they were in one of the safest cities there were.

However, he had to find her first before they could move on to the next world. The entrance doors were locked, which meant he'd have to go out the window. He'd have to make sure no one saw him as there were bound to be others outside. Once he found her, they'd have to avoid night patrol for the evening as they wouldn't be able to sneak into the room without getting caught.

He began to dig through the duffel bag for one of the guns just as he heard a key card being inserted into the lock followed by the knob turning, making his head rear toward the door at break-neck speed.

Pushing open the door was the missing girl, who luckily looked to be unscathed besides the life-long scar on her right hand.

"Where have you been? What took you so long?" he questioned calmly, yet quickly as he stood up and made his way over to the blonde.

Before she answered, a pair of shy, observant, periwinkle blue eyes peeked out from behind her, then rapidly disappeared into the girl's shadow upon being spotted.

"...Why is there a child behind you?"

"Well, I was gonna get the sketchbook, but then Ienzo here came up to me an' asked if I could help him find his parents, so I said 'yeah' an' then we searched the entire store. So after, like, ten minutes, we decided to go to the front desk an' have 'em ring 'em up, but they didn't come, so we were gonna do another sweep, but then he said he thought he saw his mom outside through the windows, so we went out an' tracked her down, but it wasn't her, so we started lookin' 'round the shoppin' center, but it was already almost curfew, an' we still hadn't found 'em yet, so I asked if he wanted to stay with me for the night an' he said 'sure', an' so we went to the hotel, but the doors were locked, but someone was nice enough to let us in. I'mma hafta tip him before we leave tomorrow. Anyways, so that happened, an' now we're here," she lengthily explained. "Looks like we're gonna be parents for the night," she smiled. She then turned to the boy behind her, "Go on, say hi," she encouraged.

He stepped out for a brief second with a rushed greeting before scurrying back behind the blonde.

"He'll only stay for the night. If you can't find his parents tomorrow morning he's not coming with us," Roxas stated.

"We'll see 'bout that," Naminé replied before spinning on her heel to face the child, "So, Ienzo, ya hungry?"

"...A little..." he bashfully confessed, looking down at his hands as he played with his tiny fingers.

"Alrighty, well, we only have snacks right now, but just pick whatever ya like," she said as she walked over to the bag, opening it up more to reveal a variety of granola bars and jerky sprinkled with dry fruit and cashews in plastic bags.

The blue-haired boy apprehensively picked out a cereal bar and a bag of turkey jerky before thanking the girl, politely bowing his head to her as he did.

Right when she was going to ask him a question she felt Roxas tap her shoulder.

"I need to talk to you in private," he said, his dour tone suggesting now rather than later.

" 'Kay. We'll be right back," she said to the child before she entered the bathroom, Roxas closing the door after her.

"Why didn't you just take him to his home?" he asked as the blonde took a seat on the rim of the bathtub.

"He doesn't live here," she responded, "He said after the store they were supposed to be stayin' at his dad's friend's house."

"Then why didn't you take him there?"

"He doesn't know the address."

"Then you should've dropped him off at a police station."

"Well, one, I don't know where that is, and two, he told me his parents don't really get along with the cops."

"So you knowingly smuggled the child of a criminal?"

"Just 'cause his parents may be criminals doesn't mean he's one too. 'Sides, he's still a kid."

"Yes, I can see that, I'm not blind in this eye; what worries me is that you could've been stuck outside during curfew."

"Well, that didn't happen, did it?"

"I know, but it could've. I'm just asking that you be more aware of the time for the sake of your safety."

"Is that all ya wanted to talk to me 'bout? Be mindful of the time, got it."

"And don't be picking up any more strays."

"He's not a stray, he's a kid, an' I can't make any guarantees."

Roxas would have sighed in frustration if he had lungs, "Just keep in mind that some might be more trouble than they're worth."

"Whaddya have against him anyway? He hasn't even been here for five minutes an' you're already sayin' he'll rob us or some shit."

"I'm just saying that you never know who will do what nowadays, so you best be careful. For all we know this could be a trick to get food and supplies."

"How the hell can it be a trick?"

"Well, for starters, what kind of parents would lose their child at a store and not go to the desk to get them? Since he's a child, people are more likely to take pity on him and bring him to their home, which allows him to then steal their food for his family while his temporary caretaker is asleep. He's a major asset-"

"Why do ya always assume that everyone we meet has bad intentions? You're lookin' too deep into this, man. Jesus, you're actin' like an...oh, I see what this is really 'bout," she suddenly began, breaking out into a smile, "You're jealous 'cause ya think I'm gonna end up likin' him more than ya, ain't ya?"

"...No I'm not."

"Ya hesitated," she pointed out, her grin growing.

"Because-"

"Oh my God, you're denyin' it, you're definitely jealous."

"If you would let me expla-"

"Fine, go 'head. Lemme hear this excuse of yours," she said, propping her elbow on her knee while she rested her chin on her palm with a smug smile.

"I hesitated because I had to pause to think of how you could ever come to that conclusion."

"Bullshit, I know ya think faster than that."

"Whether or not you believe it, that's the truth," he said, turning to leave the room.

"Ah, c'mon, don't be like that. Look, I'm just lettin' ya know now that nobody's gonna ever take your place," she assured as she stood up.

"Good to know," he offhandedly replied as he opened the door, finding the child to be watching TV, slowly munching on his granola bar.

"Whatcha watchin'?" Naminé asked.

Ienzo shrugged.

"So, uh, how old are ya?" she questioned seeing as the program had just cut to commercial break.

"Seven," he quietly informed.

"Ya got any brothers or sisters?"

He shook his head.

"Ah, so you're an only kid too. So, tell me, where ya from?"

"Radiant Garden."

"Huh, no kiddin'. Roxas over here is from there too. Ain't that right?" she asked, looking over at the teen.

"Yes."

"Yeah, I thought so."

"...Where are you from?" the boy inquired.

"Twilight Town. It isn't as big as Radiant Garden, though. Maybe 'bout...Mm, a lil' over half of RG, I think."

"...Um, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, course."

"...Can you come here, please?"

The girl nodded before she made her way over to the seven-year-old, plopping down beside him.

"Why does he have his face covered?" he whispered, cupping his small hand around her ear, which made her shiver a bit from the warmness of his breath.

"He got into an accident a couple weeks back an' he doesn't really want people to see his face," she whispered back into the child's ear.

"Is it that bad?"

"...I don't really know. I haven't seen what he looks like without the scarf, so I couldn't say."

"Oh..."

"Hey, so after the episode we should all go to sleep. Tomorrow we find your parents, okay?"

Ienzo nodded.

"Okay," she smiled before heading back over to Roxas' bed, burrowing under the covers until she felt comfortable enough to lay still.

After fifteen or so minutes the program finally came to a conclusion, which greatly relieved the girl as she was on the brink of falling asleep. Once the credits appeared on the screen the boy turned off the television and took off his sneakers, placing them near his bed before he too crawled beneath the sheets.

"G'night," Naminé said.

"Good night," the boys replied in unison, cuing the blonde to reach over and turn off the lamp, shrouding the room in darkness.

She snuggled up next to her lifelong companion as she always did before she closed her eyes, excited for tomorrow's events.

* * *

"We are **not** wasting the day away trying to find his parents," Roxas reiterated for the third time, keeping his voice low so the child couldn't overhear them while he watched the usual morning cartoons.

"Ya only said we couldn't bring him with us, ya never said we couldn't help him," the girl hissed back.

"He is not our concern."

"Speak for yourself. Ya really think I'm just gonna leave a kid all alone during a war?"

"No, I don't think that, but we have to get to Shibuya as quickly as possible."

"Yeah, yeah, I know they're only lettin' in a specific number of people in, but he's only a kid, Roxas."

"Yes, I heard you the first ten times, I haven't forgotten that, but there's a simple solution to this: just let someone else look after him. It's guaranteed that at least one person in the city will be willing to take him in."

"The only people I'll hand him over to are his parents," she stated.

"The population of San Fransokyo is over a million, the chances of you finding them are less than ten percent."

"So? As long as it ain't zero, I'll take it."

"It's a waste of time," he urged.

"You'd do it for me, wouldn't ya? If I was out there an' there was only a ten percent chance of findin' me, you'd still go, right?"

"Of course I would, but-"

"Then there ya go!"

"But the situation isn't the same."

"It's the exact same! God, why do ya have to be so difficult sometimes?! What's so wrong with wantin' to reunite a kid with his family, huh?"

"I'm not insinuating that it's wrong, but I am saying that now isn't the ideal time to be doing it."

"Now is the best time to do it! With everythin' that's happenin', now more than ever is the time people need show the most kindness to each other so that we don't lose hope! Am I so wrong to think that?"

"Naminé, I understand that you have good intentions, and under ordinary circumstances I would have no problem with helping you, but the reality is you can't help every person who needs it; it's just not physically possible."

"That's what you think."

"It's a fact of life, and the fact is you can't."

"Keep talkin' like that an' I might go back on my promise from yesterday," she warned before turning on her heel away from him, leaving him just the slightest, tiniest bit betrayed by her words.

"Ienzo, we're gonna be goin' now!" she exclaimed, breaking his attention away from the television. The boy immediately turned it off and hastily slipped on his sneakers, practically skipping his way to the older pair.

"Ya ready to find 'em?" she asked, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"Mh-hmm!" he vigorously nodded, an eager smile spreading on his youthful face.

"Alrighty, let's get goin' then," she answered as she adjusted the strap over her chest so she was comfortable before she opened the door to the hallway.

* * *

"Are ya positive that's him?" Naminé asked the boy, double-checking the name he had claimed to be that of his father's friend before she looked him up in the phone book.

"Yup," he confirmed.

"Okay, if ya say so," she said, sliding her finger down to the 'P's. Soon enough she came across Prince, Even along with his number and address.

"Found it," she stated, allowing Roxas to glimpse at the information so she wouldn't have to memorize it. She then plucked a map of the city from a nearby shelf and unfolded it, trying to determine where his home was.

"I think it's over here," the one-eyed teen commented, pointing to the lower-left quadrant.

"Okay, so where are we then?" she mumbled as she scanned the map.

"We're over here," Ienzo stated, aiming his finger at the lower-right part of the map where a tiny symbol of a building could be seen.

"Oh, I see, thanks. So, Roxas, how long's the trip gonna be?"

Using the scale located beneath the map, he calculated the length of their journey in under three seconds.

"Relatively seven and a third miles," he determined, "If we go on a subway it should take us roughly seventeen minutes given we don't experience any delays."

"Sound good. Let's bounce," she said, folding the map and stuffing it in her back pocket.

Once they egressed out of the city hall they made a bee line toward the station a couple blocks from where they were and ordered their tickets as swiftly as possible, just narrowly missing their ride.

Sixteen impatient minutes later the trio got off at the seventh stop; Naminé pulling out the map once more as they did.

"Alright, so now go...rrright," she said, beginning to pick up her pace.

"I believe we actually head left," Roxas suggested.

"Are ya sure?"

"I'm fairly certain."

She inspected the map once again, "Uh, I really think we should go right."

He then came over to her and explained his logic while using the map as a visual, hoping she would then see why they should head in his direction.

She then countered his answer by showing him her reasoning, but by the end of her explanation neither swayed towards the others' decision.

"Y'know what? Ienzo, you pick," she said, turning to the boy, or at least where she thought he was.

The girl whirled around in confusion as she looked around for the missing child, "Hey, Ienzo? Where'd he go...? Did ya see where he went?" she quickly asked the teen.

He shook his head in reply.

"Fuck, why'd he leave...?"

"I don't know for sure, but can we please start heading to Shibuya now?"

"Are ya fuckin' serious?" she hotly questioned.

"Yes, I am. He's not here anymore, ergo, we can leave now," he replied.

"Jesus Christ, would it kill ya to show just a lil' hint of concern?"

"I could if you want me to, but it wouldn't be genuine," he candidly answered.

Frustration once again boiled beneath her skin, "You're so-! Ah, just forget it, forget I ever said anythin'!" she irritably instructed, barely able to restrain her anger. "At least Xion never had to pretend..." she mumbled under her breath.

He chose to ignore the remark as it would only lead to more arguing. "In that case I still suggest we leave as soon as possible."

"But he's out there somewhere, what if somethin' happens to him?"

"Then that's his fault because he chose to go without us."

"Well, we have to find him!"

"He knows the address, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I just wanna make sure he gets there safe."

"We don't have time, we need to get to-"

"Well, ya can either wait for me there or help me find him, 'cause I ain't leavin' 'til I see that he's all right," she firmly said.

He would have dragged her all the way to Shibuya if the situation called for it, but he was aware of how that scene looked like to an outsider. More than likely someone would intervene. There was only one option he could go with.

"...We should hurry. The faster, the better," he hesitantly said.

"I'm glad ya finally came to your senses," she smirked, "Let's go."

* * *

Naminé suddenly sniffed the air with disfavor as they crossed yet another road, "...Hey, ya smell that too, right?"

"No, unfortunately not. My sense of smell isn't my strongest suit."

"Kinda smells like smoke..." she trailed off before looking up, scanning the baby blue sky above her. It didn't take her long to discover the column of oil-black fumes rising up from behind a set of townhouses to her right.

Quickly, she sprinted towards the end of the block and made a sharp right, immediately halting as she stared at a house on the other street leaking the stark, poisonous gas through all six of its front windows. It was completely engulfed in feral flames from the inside. Everything was being devoured: the roof, the walls, the rooms inside, every inch of the home was set ablaze with a sweltering mass of harsh orange.

"Please don't tell me this is the place..." she breathed to Roxas, who took just a fraction longer than usual to arrive, her wide eyes never leaving the sight in front of her.

"If I didn't, I'd be lying," he responded. He momentarily side-glanced at the girl's expression and saw that familiar glimmer of tenacity and resolution burning in her indigo eyes that greatly rivaled the roaring fire before them.

"Don't," he half-warned, half-pleaded.

"But what if they're in there? What if they're trapped? They might need help."

"Then let someone else help them," he hastily proposed.

"Ya think anyone else wants ta go in there? I'm probably the only one stupid enough ta wanna do that."

"You're not stupid. In any case the likelihood of you returning unscathed is below one percent, much less you surviving. It's not worth those odds."

"I didn't hear ya say anythin' 'bout a zero."

"But the point still stands. If you go now it'll be a wasted effort. Please, let's just leave while there's still the possibility of being allowed entry."

Deep down she knew he was right. She knew running into the house was suicide, but there had to be something she could do! Being unable to help anyone in need was one of the worst feelings in the world for her. It infuriated her to no end. It was why she was willing to put herself in harm's way even when the situation seemed grim.

A hand locked around her wrist and refused to drop its hold, "That isn't going to accomplish anything, I'm telling you," he urgently reasoned.

"Well, I gotta do somethin'! Standin' here ain't gonna do shit!"

"Neither is dashing into the depths of hell. You're being impulsive, just think a-"

"How 'bout _**you**_ stop thinkin' for a change, huh? Jesus, I thought ya woulda changed by now, but I guess I was wrong!"

Roxas warily eyed the passerby that began to stare at the pair. This wasn't good. They had to avoid being in the public eye as quickly as possible.

"Naminé, keep your voi-"

"Oh, I'm _**so**_ sorry, am I embarrassin' ya? YA WANT ME TA KEEP MY VOICE NICE AN' QUIET LIKE THIS?! IS THIS SOFT ENOUGH FOR YA, CAN YA STILL HEAR ME?!" she melodramatically screamed.

"And what will yelling achieve? You're acting like a child," he bluntly admonished.

"Don't condescend me, ya ain't so above this as ya think ya are!"

"Yes, I am," the teen coolly replied, crossing his arms over his chest, "I don't need to raise my voice to have you listen, therefore I'd say I am very well above the situation."

The girl furiously scowled at the boy. Though she couldn't see his face underneath the crimson cloth, she bet he was secretly smiling sardonically at her antics, judging her for how childish she seemed. Before she even thought about the words coming out of her mouth, she spewed them out:

"I hate you," Naminé muttered, loud enough for him to be able to hear.

She didn't even wait to see the look on his face before she spun on her heel and stormed off, the anger wearing off a bit as she bit her lip in regret. Out of shame she didn't turn back and kept moving forward.

Roxas' expression remained unfazed as he watched her flee, waiting until there was a wide enough gap between them before he trailed her from afar.

She just needed some time to cool off, that was all. Though leaving her alone wasn't an option for him, he was more than willing to give her space should she ask for it, even if doing so made him uneasy. After all that was his problem to deal with, not hers. For now he would just observe the girl and jump in whenever she seemed to be in trouble.

* * *

After about half an hour or so of aimlessly roaming throughout San Fransokyo, the blonde began to worry about where Roxas could have gone. He would have normally confronted her about her outburst the second after it happened, but now she wasn't even sure where he was. Did he actually go to Shibuya?

No, of course he wouldn't...Maybe? She couldn't really say. Ah, she wouldn't blame him if he did. She just hoped that he didn't take her words seriously.

God, why did she say that? Why did she act like such an asshole to him? He was only trying to talk some sense into her, and instead she just blew up on him. She even made a whole fucking scene in public like the idiot she was.

The teen face-palmed as the embarrassment of the performance flooded into her mind like a tsunami. She managed to let out a tiny chuckle through the humiliation as it replayed in her head. She really was acting like a kid, wasn't she...

Naminé was then yanked into reality as she walked into a streetlamp, the platinum blonde momentarily dazed for a second before her mind finally processed what had just occurred. She power-walked off with a tomato-red face, hoping no one saw her little mishap. She had experienced enough humility for today.

Back to the topic at hand, she had spent enough time running way from her problems. Now that she was back to her normal self, it was time to own up to her mistakes. The problem was she didn't know where to start looking for him. The only place he was guaranteed to be was right by her side, other than that it was fair game, and that was only if he was still in the same world.

'Well, it's not like he's really that hard to find anyways...' she thought to herself, searching for a hint of red in the ever-flowing river of people. Luckily, he was something like a dove among a flock of ravens in crowds. Plus, he was pretty tall for his age, both appearance-wise and in actuality.

She stood up on a bench for a higher vantage point, and within ten seconds she discovered him underneath the Lucky Cat Café sign. Upon spotting the boy she jumped off onto the pavement and dashed toward her companion with the sudden speed of an Olympian, bumping into multiple civilians in the process.

Once at a closer range, she pounced on him without warning, almost knocking him into the window of the cafe/bakery.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean it, I wasn't thinkin' straight, I don't hate you, I never did!" she hastily apologized, her words slurred together like that of a drunken auctioneer; her voice shaky with regret as she clung onto him as if letting go would mean certain death.

"It's fine, I know you didn't mean it," he replied after gaining his footing back from her surprisingly powerful tackle, "I should've worded my sentences better as well."

"No, no, it was my fault, I was the one who was bein' all stubborn an'-an' stupid..."

"Please stop calling yourself that, you **aren't** stupid. You want to help others, but there are just some cases when that isn't an option," the teen said, gently taking hold of both of her hands in his, "The sooner you understand that, the better off you'll be."

"...I can try," she reluctantly responded, glancing at her feet for a moment before she looked back up at him, "but I think there'll always be a part of me that won't accept that. Oh, did ya hear any news 'bout the house? Are there any survivors?" she asked.

"I haven't heard anything yet, unfortunately, but I'd like to ask once more if we could start leaving now."

"...Ah, all right. I'm really sorry again..."

"It's all right, but next time I'd prefer you consider the consequences of your actions before you rush into them."

"Yeah, that'll be the day. Hey, don't gimme that look, you're makin' me feel bad... All right, fine! I'll see what I can do," she surrendered.

"Thank you," he answered, satisfied with her revised answer.

"...So I never asked, what're your friends in Shibuya like?" she asked as they merged into the throng, their hands remaining linked to the other's as they went.

"One is semi-what cynical, another is ebullient, then there's the third who's...unorthodox, and finally there's one who's condescending."

"Ya made four?! Whoa, look at ya! What're their names by the way?"

"Neku, Shiki, Beat and Joshua."

"How'd ya meet 'em?"

"Beat nearly ran me over with his skateboard, then Shiki came over and asked if I was okay. I said I was and then she offered to pay for a bowl for ramen as a means of apologizing. I took her up on the offer and while we waited for the soup we started talking. She introduced me to Neku and Joshua, then when the food came we sat a table, and things took off from there," he recalled.

"Nice, nice. So anyone catch your eye~?"

"No."

"Really? With all those people you... **met** , no one made you feel, I dunno...different, but, like, in a good way kinda?"

He shook his head, "I can't say anyone did. The only person that has ever had that effect on me was you."

"Well, that's kinda expected, don't ya think? Well, at least ya made some friends. I dunno why, but I feel really proud of ya," she smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Thank you."

"No worries. Anyway, let's hope we're not too late. I really wanna meet 'em now."

Roxas remained silent and allowed her to lead him through the horde. He tightened his fingers just enough to be barely tangible around her hand.

Yes, everything seemed fine now, but they couldn't outrun their reality for much longer. Soon enough little moments such as these will become all but a forgotten fantasy. Even so, they had to persevere. If they were lucky, she could potentially live up to her fifties or so, emphasis on if.

However long her lifespan was, he would always be there faithfully by her side as he has stated many times before in the past. It didn't matter whether they had a difference of opinion because he was confident in their mutual respect for the other. Unlike the world leaders, they had a key component in their relationship that they lacked: trust. It was essentially for nearly any bond to function smoothly and correctly, it was a universal truth.

If only they had remembered that before dragging the lives of billions of humans and one android down with their poor excuse for an alliance.

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor Big Hero 6 or its characters.**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **Ah, I feel like this is such a step down from the last chapter. I dunno, maybe that's just me being paranoid. Well, either way I hope you all enjoyed it for what it was. I honestly planned this chapter to be more light-hearted and comedic, but hey, I'm not complaining in the slightest how it came out.**

 **I think I'll keep this short since I'm a tad tired at the moment, so as usual, thank you very much for reading, and I hope to see you in the next chapter. Have a wonderful day/night. :)**


	25. Run

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.**

* * *

Comfortably intimate bodies laid still in the early hours of dawn when the eye of heaven had yet to awaken. Their legs were entangled like a spider's web, and both laid on their side facing their companion with a protective arm around each other, making their chests nearly brush from the proximity. One drooled a bit out of the corner of their mouth onto the pillow while the other suddenly lifted their head up as the all-too familiar sound of heavy, swift footfalls pounding the ground grew faintly closer. It was only a matter of time before they came, wreaking havoc and shedding rivers of blood across the land.

He urgently, yet gently shook the sleeping blonde beside him, murmuring in her ear that she had to get up only to be unsuccessful in his objective to wake her. He tried again a bit louder this time, but to no avail.

He took it an extra step further by getting off the mattress and tearing the sheets off her unconscious form. Naminé automatically curled up in a fetal position to make up for the loss of warmth.

With closed eyes, she heard him make his way over to the foot of the bed and unzip the duffel bag. Curiously, she cracked open an eyelid to find him standing over her with a water bottle tipped dangerously close to spilling.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake!" she screeched, sitting up with her arms up in surrender.

"We have to go," he curtly informed, twisting the plastic cap back on the container.

"Ugh, now? We just got here a couple hours ago. I wanna get s'more sleep..."

"You can sleep at the next place we go to."

"Yeah, for, like, an hour maybe! 'Sides why we leavin'? Is it them again?"

"It's highly likely."

"Well, how d'ya know they're comin' here?"

"I don't, which is why we're leaving in case."

"Can't we just stay for a lil' bit longer? Maybe they won't come here," she sanguinely suggested.

"We can't afford to take that chance, you already know that," he replied.

"Yeah, I know I do, but...I'm just so tired..." she sighed.

"You can re-"

"No, not just that kinda tired, I mean I'm tired of havin' to run just 'cause of some bullshit terrorist group an' the stupid shit they do! I'm tired of always runnin' on four hours of sleep or less! I'm tired of not bein' able to just relax or make new friends or do anythin' fun anymore 'cause of war! I'm tired of wakin' up every mornin' and the first thought that comes to me is 'I might die today'! I just want things to go back to the way it was before," she confessed, her expression doleful and her fists clenched in frustration.

"I wish that could happen too, but that's not how the world works," he softly reminded, "Nonetheless we mustn't give up. Nothing lasts forever, and certainly not this war."

"What if I promised you this," he began, seeing as she was still dispirited, "The next stop we rest at I guarantee you'll get a full night's sleep without any disturbances, and the moment you wake up we'll go to whatever store we can find and buy you something."

Her finger twitched at the phrase 'full night's sleep' and the word 'buy'. He already had her when he mentioned sleep, but being able get whatever she wanted was the big kicker. Since he managed their finances, he was usually extremely strict about what to purchase, but he just promised to let her buy anything of her choosing.

"However, the only condition I ask of the item is that it's portable," he added, "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal," she nodded, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress before she began to slip her sandals on.

"Can I eat first before we go, though?" she asked as her stomach felt like a never-ending abyss at the moment.

"No time. You can eat on the way," he answered.

"Agh, fine," she mumbled before picking up the bag. "So I keep forgettin' to ask this, but now that I remembered, what month is it?"

"May."

"Oh, shit, I'm sixteen now, I guess."

"Happy belated birthday."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Are you ready to go?" he asked, opening the door to the empty hallway of the abandoned, scorched home they inhabited for the past three hours.

"Ready to go to sleep," she replied.

"Then let's get going."

* * *

The teen's head snapped to look at the sound of a footstep that wasn't theirs. Instinctively, she hid behind a tree and directed her breathing to be as silent and shallow as possible just as he instructed her to do whenever she sensed a threat nearby.

She couldn't see where Roxas had hid, but she supposed that was a good thing for him. She also noticed that whoever the mystery person was wasn't shining a flashlight around at the moment, meaning they probably weren't night patrol. Thank God.

Was this really the reality she lived in? She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that just last summer she was watching a movie with her best friend and recently unboxed android, and now she lived in a day and age were it wasn't uncommon to see a person severed in half decaying on any given street corner. In fact, it was so normal to her that she was beginning to grow n-

"Are they gone?" the soft voice of a little girl asked, cutting the blonde off from her thoughts.

"Yeah, I think so," replied a boy around Naminé's age, "Just keep your voice low like you've been doin'."

They soon began to move once more, the snap of tiny twigs beneath their feet echoing throughout the ever-so still forest. The blonde carefully peeked around the edge of the tree once they were far enough, trying to catch a glimpse of the duo by the streams of periwinkle light that leaked through the leaves blanketing them overhead.

Every now and then she would be able to make out the pair's dark-brownish hair, but at one point the boy suddenly halted and whizzed around, his ebony eyes staring exceedingly close to her hiding spot.

She immediately crouched down, hoping he didn't notice her.

"What is it?" the girl asked.

"...Maybe I imagined it. C'mon, let's keep goin'," he replied, their forms slowly fading away from her limited range of vision.

"Did he see you?" she heard the disembodied voice of Roxas ask somewhere to her right.

"No, I don't think so. Where are ya anyways? Ya hid so well I couldn't tell where ya were."

"I'm right here," he answered as she felt him slip his cool fingers inbetween hers, "We still have some ways to go, so bear with me."

" 'Kay," she sighed, fighting off the urge to yawn. As they continued to walk hand in hand, her mind wandered back to the nameless boy they just encountered. Thinking back on it, he was quite handsome. Really handsome. Mysterious eyes that were black as night... Soft, rosy lips that, when gently tugged by teeth, would drive any lady mad.

'...Oh no...' she thought to herself as she grew aware of the small upwards tilt of her lips and the slight nauseated feeling in her stomach at the thought of him.

More than half an hour had passed since she last spoke a word, signaling to her guardian that something was occupying her mind.

"Are you okay?" he inquired.

"No," she flatly replied.

"How so?"

"Somethin' horrible happened."

"What happened?"

"I fell in love," she plaintively answered.

"Oh. I'm...sorry...?"

"I dunno anymore either. Like, I know I just saw him, an' we probably won't ever see 'em again, but, fuck, he's really goddamn cute," she went on, her smile growing wider and wider.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, he is! Like, the way the light hit his face was fuckin' perfect! Goddammit, this wasn't supposed to happen..."

Roxas remained silent as he recalled the countless times he had caught her staring at him for his looks.

Though inner beauty was supposed to be praised over the perceptual kind, he found in his experience that having an alluring face definitely helped him a lot more than simply being a kind person. Thanks to his come-hither looks he was able to obtain almost two hundred-fifty dollars per person a night, and all he had to do was 'entertain' his guest or guests, which he was more than capable of doing.

Now look at him. He couldn't even reveal his face because of how deformed it was. He should have taken extra caution to avoid taking damage to that area when he was fighting her. He could have been flirting his way to money so that she could get plenty of rest and food.

Instead their supplies were dwindling fast and she was already showing possible symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. She **needed** more rest, and he knew that, but what with the recent nomadic mob they had no choice but to keep moving. With his bad leg, he wasn't confident that he could carry out his assigned task as efficiently as possible. He had to fix it, but he didn't have the time, materials, nor the tools to do it.

For now, this was the best option they had. Find an isolated place, stand guard while she slept, and then let her obtain an object of her choosing. Short and simple.

"Hey, are ya listenin'?"

"Of course. You were talking about the boy we just saw," he answered.

"I **was** , but not anymore."

"Oh... I'm sorry, I was a bit distracted."

"By what?"

"Thoughts."

"What kinda thoughts?"

"Mainly negative."

"How come?"

"Most likely due to stress."

"Well, d'ya have a way to de-stress or relax?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, maybe ya should look into that. Maybe listenin' to music or readin' or whatever, y'know?"

"That won't work. The only time I'm at my least stressed state is when you aren't in any foreseeable danger."

"So basically you're stressed 24/7?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Damn, that sounds like hell. I dunno how ya can cope with it."

"It's fine, I was made to perform well under pressure. How are you doing?"

"Eh, I've had better days. I just want this whole thing to end already. It'd be nice to just go back to the good ol' days when people weren't afraid of each other, ya get me?"

"That'd be-"

His abrupt cut off told her that he had heard something in the distance, making the girl anxiously await his reaction. After a few moments of tense silence he only had to murmur one word to get his message across:

"Run."

"I'm not goin' anywhere without ya," she immediately stated.

"I'll catch up to you, but you must leave now."

"I'm not gonna lose ya again," she reiterated.

"That's my line. I assure you I'll be fine."

"But what 'bo-"

"I'll be okay, I promise," he swore, firmly placing his hands on her shoulders, "You don't need to worry about me."

"...Are ya sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes, I swear," he nodded.

Apprehensively, she skittered into unknown territory away from the invisible enemy, but not before giving him a quick hug and telling him to be safe, to which he echoed the same request to her.

While she sprinted away, she couldn't help but feel that she had made the wrong choice. Something as insignificant as a bum knee wasn't going to stop him, was it? No, no, he'll be fine, she was just worrying too much. This had nothing on him.

As for herself, now that was an **entirely** different story. For one, she only knew the bare basics of self-defense, and two she just about had the strength of a newborn seahorse. Speed was her best bet for survival, but even that was questionable; not to mention her endurance was practically nonexistent. If there was any chance of her winning a fight, either luck was on her side or adrenaline gave her a hell of a boost.

Nonetheless, she was on her own for a bit. Hopefully she wouldn't kick the bucket within ten seconds of their departure. That'd be embarrassing.

Thus, she ran onward through the dense foliage until she felt burning acid searing through her legs, eventually slowing down to a light jog, which then spiraled into a hasty walk.

She was fairly certain that she had put enough distance between her and them by now, whoever 'them' was. All that was left to do was wait for him. He shouldn't be long at any rate.

...Hopefully.

As she sat herself down in front of a grand oak tree, she reached for a small stick nearby and began etching drawings into the dirt to preoccupy herself. She then stopped for a couple minutes to sate her empty stomach with some jerky and cereal bars. She took note of how many of their supplies were nearing the single digits. They would have to restock soon.

After a series of asymmetrical hearts and drunkenly misproportioned animals, the blonde was about to smooth out her earthen canvas with her foot before the snap of a branch caught her attention. It was extremely close by from the sound of it.

As quietly as possible, she lifted the strap off her shoulder and slowly reached inside the bag, feeling around for the bat within. Once she had grabbed its wooden handle she carefully slipped it out and stood up, bringing her weapon up behind her shoulder with a firm grip.

She moved in a tight circle as she scanned her surroundings, listening intently for her camouflaged admirer.

"Um, hello..."

Naminé whirled around to meet a small, plump man with a receding hairline and a baby-like face.

"Don't worry, I don't mean any harm. I don't even have anything on me to defend myself with," his deep, orotund voice assured, raising both of his hands up so she could examine them. Her grip relaxed a bit, but was still somewhat tense. She had learned to be less trusting towards others as the months passed. She hoped one day she would unlearn her recently acquired skill.

"Look, I'll just get straight to it: I noticed you had food and I wanted to make a trade with you."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, her voice in what she referred to as 'survival mode' when it was cold and suspicious.

"I got some medicine on me. Penicillin, ibuprofen, things like that. I wanted to trade it for any extra food you might have," he answered.

The teen was still skeptical of the man. He seemed way too nervous for a simple exchange. She could even see the salty sweat beginning to form on his forehead despite the fact that there was barely any light.

"Please, it's urgent. My wife's expecting soon and without food they aren't gonna make it," he pleaded upon seeing her doubtful expression.

...He **did** have a ring on his finger, but should she really trade with him? She wasn't sick at the moment, and they didn't have much food left anyways. But if she refused, he might attack her. Sure, she had a bat, but he could easily take it away from her. It was best to trade with him and avoid any unnecessary conflict.

"Let me see the medicine first," she ordered, keeping her voice calm while the nearly bald man immediately fished into his khaki pants for the drugs.

"Here," he said as he presented the pill bottles.

"Throw them over."

He obeyed her instructions and tossed them one by one to the girl, who caught both with her unoccupied hand. She had to internally congratulate herself for that feat.

"All right, don't move," she said as she hurriedly turned away from him, dropping the medicine in the bag before she grabbed a handful of cereal bars and a few bags of jerky.

"Thank you, thank you so much..."

"No problem, sir," she said as she stood up to look at him, finding the man to be right in front of her.

"I'm so sorry," he sincerely whispered before cocking his arm back and knocking her to the ground with a surprisingly swift punch.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized again as he made off with the duffel bag, her only source of food and water being stolen right in front of the blonde.

Her mind was still reeling from the punch, and knowing she wouldn't be able to get up in time to chase him down, she blindly threw the bat in his direction. A shout of pain and the resounding thunk of heavy wood soon filled the air afterwards.

Stunned that she had actually hit her target, she quickly snapped out of her astonishment and pushed herself off the ground, sending dirt flying underneath her sandals as she dashed for the bag. As she wrapped her hand around the strap, he suddenly rolled over and seized it in a death grip.

Right as he was about to tear it out of her hands, she let go of the bag and instead reached for the bat near him.

She meant to hold it up over him as a means to scare him into letting go, but her sleep-deprived mind and adrenaline sent a signal to her muscles to follow through with the action, making her slam it down on his forehead with all her might.

Her brain buffered for a moment as to what she had just done, but as soon as it hit her the girl's blood ran icy cold and her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

She stood frozen for what seemed like an eternity before she shifted the bat out of view to assess the damage she had caused.

He wasn't bleeding, but she could definitely make out a dent in his skull. In addition he was staring at her with wide, wild, unblinking eyes.

Ever so slowly she crouched beside him and listened for his breathing, but not once did he inhale. She stayed quiet for a good five minutes, yet she couldn't hear a sound.

With a shaky hand, she lifted his still warm wrist and checked for a pulse.

...

Nothing.

As a last resort she placed her ear where his heart would be, desperately awaiting a thump or something, anything.

After several moments of dead silence, the bat slipped out of her limp grip as she stood up in a daze.

This wasn't happening, was it? No, it couldn't be. This had to be a dream, right? Well, if it was, she'd sure like to wake up now.

She flinched as she pinched her arm with her nails, the stinging pain lingering for a bit as she let go.

That confirmed it. This was no dream.

She had just killed a human being.

She honestly expected herself to be breaking out in hysterics by now, but the shock was so intense and overwhelming it seemed to keep all other emotions at bay. Even guilt didn't have a hold of her, she was just...appalled.

Somehow the world felt different to her now. She felt like she was in a dream, like nothing around her really existed. It was fascinating yet a bit frightening at the same time. The sensation was so odd for her to put into words.

What should she do now? She could maybe wait for Roxas, but he didn't seem to be coming any time soon. She could go walk around for a while. That sounded nice.

Without being aware, she somehow ended up approaching the edge of the thicket which gave way to a steep cliff. How did she even get here so quickly? It seemed like someone had just erased a chunk of her memory and all of a sudden she found herself here.

The blonde let out a big silent yawn as she strolled over to the edge and looked down. A thin river quietly burbled a good hundred feet below, reflecting some of the moon's pale rays.

A tiny spike of fear rose up within her, advising her to take a few steps back. As she did an unanticipated wave of drowsiness washed over her. She supposed she could rest here for a bit, then when she woke up she could go look for him. Sounded fair enough to her.

With that plan in mind, she laid down on her side and curled up on the tan earth, folding her arms under her head for added comfort before she dozed off; the early morning's events fading away like a forgotten nightmare.

* * *

Some days Roxas just wanted to tear his leg off and construct a new one out of whatever he could find in some local junkyard. Today was one of those days.

After Naminé had left he sought out the noise he had heard earlier of mechanical whirring and the low rumble of tank treads only to find a pile of metal he assumed once made up the robotic foreigner. Strangely enough he never heard the machine being dismantled while he was tracking it down.

However, that in itself wasn't the main question that was occupying the android's mind. The fact that it **existed** , that he was staring at it right now was the problem. His concern wasn't who built it, but for what purpose? Warfare? Protection?

He'd have to find answers some other day as he had to catch up to the blonde as quickly as possible before anything else did. He wasn't worried so much as to where she was as she was bound to make a sound at one point. In the meantime he'd follow the direction he saw her go in until he either saw her or heard her, whichever came first.

While he limped about the shady forest floor he noticed that daybreak had already banished the night, telling him to hurry as a slew of hungry predators were just beginning to awaken.

He then halted as the presence of many made themselves clear in his ears. He rolled his golden eye in irritation before sharply turning to the animal nearest to him, staring the massive silver wolf down. The fifteen or so members of its pack slowly crept around their target, closing in on him as they circled around him.

Roxas took note of the elk that sped behind one of the wolves, none of them even acknowledging its fleeting presence.

They weren't ambushing him because they were hungry and he appeared to be an easy meal, they picked him because they knew he was unnatural, an aberration. Nature never really did seem to like him, but he supposed that was to be expected as his existence essentially defied Her.

At any rate he needed to cut this meeting short. He had more important matters to attend to.

He grabbed the leg of the first wolf that launched at him and swung it around like a club, knocking down three of its siblings out of mid-air. A handful of them went for his legs, to which he responded with a hearty kick to their muzzles in a leg sweep, gliding into a one-arm handstand.

He then pushed himself off the ground and landed back on his feet a couple yards away from his original location as they surged forward in an attempt to snatch his arm. Wasting no time, he propelled himself forward and smashed one of wolves into a tree with his elbow, shattering part of its spine in the process. Two ganged up on him from behind, leading them to their deaths as he effortlessly plucked them off his back and mashed their skulls together with a sickening crack.

Within a single minute Roxas had killed off nearly the entire pack. The others who didn't show up to the battle were most likely tending to the younger pups seeing as spring was the season of new life.

Likewise, he needed to return to Naminé quickly. His original plan of having her rest in the forest proved to have too many cons than he predicted. They'd have to migrate back to civilization and find another home to settle in so she could have her rest. He just had to find her first, which shouldn't be too much of a hassle for him.

...Given she was still alive, which he was almost certain she was.

Almost.

* * *

A quiet disturbance among the fringe of the forest jolted the orphan awake, making her immediately sit up as if someone had screamed into her ear. She turned to the woodland and let out a relieved exhale as she saw the source of the sound to only be a moose sauntering about, peacefully chewing on its breakfast of tasty, dewy leaves.

As the tall creature munched away, the girl folded her arms behind her head as she laid back down, hoping she would be able to gain a few more minutes of sleep before she set off for her search.

How long had she been sleeping anyways? Maybe about ten, twenty minutes since the sun had already risen. She was surprised that he hadn't found her by now in all honesty. Maybe he was still busy dealing with whatever he supposedly heard.

After a few minutes, she found sleep had once again eluded her grasp as she felt a continuous pain begin to radiate from her abdomen. Over time it steadily swelled accompanied with a sudden cold sweat that racked her entire body from head to toe.

As she squirmed about feeling uncomfortable in her own skin she couldn't help but contemplate why this was happening to her now. Had the guilt of her crime finally kicked in? Why was it so intense? She got how nervousness caused vomiting, but she had no idea that guilt could be this unbearable. Then again, maybe she was just imagining it. She had a read a story once in school about a man who had killed someone and how, after he died, he could still hear the heart beat of the person he had killed. Maybe it was sort of like that.

A striking pain enacting from her stomach yanked the teen back into her reality, causing her to swear under her breath while she balled her fists.

She felt like her body was on fire, and her mouth was as dry as a desert, but that didn't even compare to how her gut felt. God, it was like she was being stabbed from the inside-out. Jesus Christ, what the fuck was happening?

While she rolled side to side in her state of suffering, her mind reminded her that she was only mere inches away from a cliff. She could end the pain right now if she wanted to...

No, she shouldn't, she **couldn't**. After all she's been through over her sixteen years of living, was a little stomach ache and fever going to be what drove her to her end? She's survived a bombing, a hurricane, and a broken arm; she's lost almost every person dear to her. She couldn't give up on herself now.

Besides, that wouldn't be fair to Roxas either. If she died now all that effort he put into ensuring her safety would be essentially lost. Plus, she wouldn't even be able to tell him how thankful she was for everything he's done for her or how sorry she was for all those times she took him for granted.

'C'mon, get up. He's probably worried 'bout ya by now,' she thought to herself, rolling over onto her hands and knees.

'Ignore it,' she internally said as pain shot up from her abdomen while she stood up straight. She then brushed some of the dirt off her worn-out leggings and shirt.

'Now start walkin',' she instructed, placing one unsteady foot in front of the other until she could do it without thinking.

The gigantic animal from earlier was gone now, probably to graze on other shrubs and leaves she supposed. She wondered how tall the moose actually was. Including the antlers it was maybe six, seven, or even eight feet high. She had to admit she was a bit envious of their superior height...

'Stop it, you're gettin' off track. We needa focus on finding him first. Now c'mon, let's get movin'.'

* * *

He should have known, he should have known better than to split up. Hadn't he learned the consequences already? Now he didn't have a clue where she was, and they were both lost in a forest-covered mountain teeming with creatures that were twice her size and ten times faster than him. If he didn't move fast enough it was only a matter of time before something-

Roxas cut his thoughts off immediately as he noticed his right hand beginning to tremble again. The shaking eventually subsided as he forced his anxiety levels to go down. He couldn't get worked up too often, otherwise his newly developed problem would arise.

It was obvious that he needed to get repairs done, and it frustrated him to no end that the solution was as simply as that, but because of the state of the worlds th-

He stopped once more as the faint sound of complex whistling fell upon his ears. The birds had remained eerily quiet for a while, which meant that the noise likely originated from a person.

Cautiously, he followed the source of the sound like a shadow, anxious to discover if it was her or not.

Luck was on his side as the person indeed turned out to be Naminé, but there was a certain something missing that kept him from being completely relieved.

The bag was missing. The supplies she needed in order to sustain her existence had disappeared. Where was it?

"Naminé," he called out, the girl half-turning to him as he said her name.

"Where were ya?" she asked as she jogged over to meet him, her tone strangely less worrisome than he had anticipated.

"I'm sorry it took me long. The sound I heard was a fairly what long distance away, and there were some other obstacles as well," he explained, "However, I'm more so concerned with how you received that bruise," he said, the large reddish mark on her right temple indicating she had been hit.

"I don't wanna talk 'bout it," he flatly answered, her deadpan expression suggesting that it was no embarrassing incident.

"All right," he responded, asking no further questions toward her injury. "May I ask where the bag is?"

"Somewhere," she succinctly replied.

"Do you know where exactly?"

She shrugged indifferently.

"I see... Were you able to get some rest at least?"

"A lil' bit, yeah."

"Good. We'll need to start moving again towards the city."

"How come?"

"It's a bit more dangerous than I expected."

"Well, I mean, we **are** in a forest."

"That's not the reason. The sound I heard was something man-made. I'm not certain why it's here or if there are more, which is why we're going back."

"What was it?"

"A robot or machine of some sort."

"Here?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." she trailed off, her face growing blank as her eyes dropped from his to the ground. She stared at nothing for a few moments before she blinked out of her temporary trance, turning back to him.

"Hm? Whuzzat?"

"I didn't speak," he answered, his head tilting a bit to the side in confusion, "Are you feeling well?"

"Nah, not really. I'm still pretty sleepy," the teen replied, keeping her other bothersome symptoms to herself for now.

"Is that all?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded, avoiding eye contact as best she could.

"Does this have to do with whatever it is you don't want to talk about?" he inquired.

"...Maybe..."

"Then you should have said so in the first place. There's no need to lie when it has already been acknowledged."

"Yeah, fair enough," she agreed.

"All right. We should get going now."

" 'Kay," she replied, falling into step with him as they began to make their way off the mountain.

* * *

"Naminé," Roxas abruptly began after an hour or so of walking in silence.

"Hm?" she hummed as she had most of her concentration on keeping her eyelids from drooping.

"Um..."

The blonde turned to the boy with a quirked eyebrow. He's never said 'um' before. He always knew what he was going to say before he spoke.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"...Nevermind."

"C'mon, tell me."

"It's best I don't say it."

"Tell meeee..."

"It's irrelevant."

"Well, it's gotta be kinda important if ya felt tha need to say it before," she remarked.

"...If I tell you, in return you tell me what's been bothering you," he negotiated.

"Deal."

"All right. I was wondering..."

"Yeah, go ooon..."

"Do you - rather, were you...happier with Xion than you were with me?"

She gave him a look of bewilderment, furrowing her eyebrows a bit as she did, "An' where's this comin' from?"

"It's just a small thought that's been on my mind for a while now."

"Well, why didn't ya say anythin' sooner?"

"Because it was immaterial."

"Well...For the record, yeah, I did have a lot of fun with her for a while, but that doesn't mean I didn't miss ya either."

"But were you happier with her or me?"

"No offense, but why does it matter?"

"It shouldn't, but..."

"Hm? Say that again?"

"Perhaps it's another flaw in my coding," he reiterated, louder this time so she could hear.

A short stillness hung over the two for a few seconds.

"...Take off the scarf," she suddenly ordered. Roxas, although a bit perplexed, followed her instructions without hesitation. Gradually, the scarlet layers unraveled little by little like the many velvet petals of a rose. When the entirety of his face had finally been exposed, she told him to hand the scarf over to her, which he obediently did.

All the flesh from his lower lip downwards had been cruelly peeled off, exposing a row of teeth, gums, and a chrome mandible. His neck contained a couple missing patches of silicone, revealing more metal and vein-like wires underneath. The rest of his once human face was riddled with small, misshapen holes and crude tears. Even his golden locks of hair had been yanked out of his scalp. The only part of him that remained unscathed was his right eye.

As for the other, she could easily make out exactly where both of his eyelids had been ripped off, which once shielded an eyeball identical to the one juxtaposed to it. Now all that was left behind in its place was a gaping void that somehow retained the ability to stare back at her.

After inspecting every inch of his newly unveiled features, she noticed that he kept staring at any direction but her own.

"Look at me."

A cobalt eye shifted over to the blonde boring even more holes into him. She then reached out and took his damaged face in her warm hands, her thumbs tracing small circles upon his metallic cheekbones.

"Listen to me. Don't ya dare think for a second that just 'cause you're 'defective' or some other shit like that means that you're useless. I don't give a fuck if you're imperfect an' neither should you. And ya shouldn't be ashamed of how ya look around me. I like you for you, an' that's not gonna change regardless of what ya look like. I think you're wonderful just the way ya are. An' whenever ya start ta doubt yourself, just remember that I'll still love ya no matter what. Don't ya ever forget that, okay?" she said, every single word of every sentence she spoke filled with a certain confidence that one only has when speaking out of nothing but pure passion and admiration.

"Okay," he softly replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

She flashed a benevolent smile before dropping her hands from his face. "Okay. An' from now on ya don't hafta wear the scarf if ya don't wanna."

"Understood. Thank you."

"Anytime," she responded before returning said item back to him. Once he had hid himself behind the muffler, they pressed onward toward the city.

"I believe it is your turn now, yes?" he mentioned, reminding her of the deal they had made earlier.

"Oh, right...um..." she shakily began, nervousness beginning to accumulate within her stomach again. "I...I did somethin' I wasn't s-supposed to," she confessed, her voice wobbling a bit toward the end of her statement.

"All right. That's all I need to know," he calmly responded.

"...Thanks."

"No need to thank me."

"Well, I wanted to, so there," she answered, childishly sticking out her tongue in mock annoyance. She then let out a loud yawn, rubbing her eye with the back of her scarred hand. "Ah, I needa get some fuckin' sleep..."

"You will soon."

"Yeah, better be," she grumbled, momentarily stumbling before she quickly regained her footing.

Meanwhile the android was currently engrossed in the monologue she had spoken less than a minute ago. Though he knew that she deeply cared for him -and to a certain degree loved him, he supposed- hearing her say the words aloud was a completely unique experience on its own. It triggered a substantial amount of joy to be perceived by him, so much so that he wanted to hear her say it once more just to experience the euphoria all over again. It was...strange for him to feel this way, at the very least. Was he meant to react like this? Was it intended for him to be this happy?

...Did he truly deserve it? Was he worthy enough to be loved? After all, he had lied to her about so many things in the past, and he honestly harbored no intentions of bringing a single one of them to light. Perhaps the speech wasn't meant to be taken in a literal sense. Maybe she was exaggerating when she said she loved him. That being said, her attitude towards him definitely supported her words for the most part, therefore there had to be some truth to her statement.

Perchance he was trying to find a solution to a problem that couldn't be solved. He did have a habit of overthinking, he will admit, but he couldn't help himself. It was in his coding to analyze and break down every scenario and new piece of information. Telling him to stop thinking was like commanding an carnivorous animal to go on a vegetarian diet. It was simply a task he could not adhere to.

At any rate, he should just be grateful for having a warmhearted and forgiving owner such as herself. Yes, for now that was the most reliable verity he could go with.

* * *

Upon arriving inside one of the many musty, neglected apartments, Naminé immediately went out on a mission to find the nearest bedroom to sleep in; the wooden floors faintly groaning with each step she took. As soon as she opened the creaking door and caught sight of the ever-so inviting bed, she bolted toward it and ungracefully flopped on its cushiony surface.

"Finally," she blissfully sighed as she buried her face in a fuzzy crepe pink pillow without the slightest concern of possible bed bugs. Fortunately her partner did the deed for her and thoroughly checked the mattress, finding it to be free of any parasites.

"Aren't ya gonna lay down?" the blonde asked as he made his way to the windows that were east of the bed.

"No, I'll be keeping watch instead," he answered while he peeked between the blinds, finding the panes to be obscured with ancient dust.

"Mm, 'kay," she murmured before she sank her head into the cushion, her eyelids slowly concealing her indigo orbs as her breathing gradually adopted a soft, lulling rhythm.

Once he had finished wiping the window clean, Roxas noted the slightly chilly temperature of the room, and set out to find a blanket to cover her. Common sense directed him to the wall closet, and sure enough -upon pushing the doors aside- he spotted a neatly folded stack of fluffy blankets tucked underneath the bottommost shelf. Brushing past the hanging woman's feet, he retrieved one of them and closed the doors behind him, unfolding it as he made his way back to the sleeping teen.

He then threw the covers over her, gravity doing its job as it gently and silently enveloped her. Once he adjusted the sheets down to her shoulders, he resumed standing guard, occasionally looking out the window whenever he heard a disturbance along with stealing glances at her from time to time.

As the hours ticked by, he discovered a somewhat worn camouflage backpack they could use. Unfortunately the apartment was stripped clean of any supplies worthy of keeping, but he supposed the knapsack was enough for now.

By the time she entered reality once more he was already laying down next to her, patiently waiting for her to come out of her slumber.

"Good afternoon," he greeted.

"Afternoon," she sleepily responded, stretching her arms as she sat up. "So anythin' I missed?"

Roxas shook his head in reply.

"Mm, all right," she said, letting out a small yawn. "So, I believed ya promised me a trip ta the store, yeah?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Alrighty, let's get goin' then."

"However, because the money was in the bag, that's no longer a promise I can keep," he reminded.

"Ohh, that's right...Fuck. Ah, whatever," she brushed off, "But next time we get some extra cash, we go get somethin'."

"All right," he said before he got up and hoisted the empty bag on his shoulder.

"Where d'ya get that?" she inquired.

"I found it in one of the rooms," he answered as he went up to the door.

"Oh."

"Are you ready to go?" he asked before he placed his hand on the knob.

"Go? Go where?"

"Somewhere else."

"But what's the point?" she began, drawing her knees up to her chest, "I mean, everywhere we go we always end up stayin' for a couple hours before we go somewhere else. Everyday it's always the same. I don't wanna just hop place to place all my life. Can't we just pick a world an' stay?"

"In order to survive, we have to keep moving. That's the only option we have now," he reminded, retracting his hand from the handle as he turned his body to face her, "We've done it before, we can do it again."

"But before we had a goal. We had a place in mind we wanted ta get to, but now we have no idea where we're headin'. It's just startin' to feel kinda...repetitive. I don't like it. I don't like that this is happenin' day in an' day out. I wanna change it."

"I'm sorry that you feel that way, but that's all we can do as of the moment."

Naminé remained silent as she hugged her knees tighter, staring at the peeling wall paper a few feet in front of her.

"...I don't wanna do this anymore. I'm sick of it. I don't wanna deal with any of this. I just wanna go home..." she mumbled, her throat tightening as tears began to form in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but all she managed to do was blur her vision further.

"Then we'll go there."

She lifted her head up slightly, "Hm?"

"You said you want to go home, so that's what we'll do," he clarified.

"Really? But I thought..."

She trailed off for a bit before she shook her head. It was better not to question his decision.

"Okay," she answered, hopping off the bed and immediately slipping her sandals on before she joined him at the door.

As Roxas opened it, he couldn't help but think of the inevitable. With no supplies, money, or weapons, they were at their most vulnerable state. Though he was certain they could garner the materials on the way, there was always the possibility that she could be killed beforehand. At the same time, returning to her homeworld could possibly improve her emotional state. The longer she was unhappy, the harder it would be for her to continue.

Thus, he determined that he had to work even harder to protect her while they traveled. Despite his disadvantages, he still had a task that needed to be carried out, and he was going to fulfill that purpose until he could no longer lift a single finger. He had to remain strong.

For her.

"Hey, so, I gotta question for ya," she said, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"So for your 'birthday', or whatever ya wanna call it, whaddya wanna do?"

He shrugged in response, "I don't have a preference. Why do you ask?"

" 'Cause I wanna know whatcha wanna do."

"I meant as in why ask now. It's roughly three months from now until then."

The blonde shrugged, "I dunno. Just curious."

"I see... While we're on the topic, how would you want to celebrate your late birthday?"

"Mm... I dunno, really. To be honest just bein' able to relax for the day sounds good enough to me."

"Agreed," he concurred.

"On second thought, maybe some cheesecake would be nice too."

"I could make some if you'd like."

"That'd be nice," she replied as they arrived at the door leading to the outside world. Sucking in a deep breath, she grabbed the knob and turned it; the sunset's marigold rays instantaneously shooting out from the space inbetween the door and frame. She blinked a bit from the unexpected brightness before her eyes adjusted to it, allowing her to witness a harmonious clash of colors on the horizon.

Despite everything that was occurring within the worlds, the sunset never failed to amaze the blonde with its natural beauty. No matter what happened, it would always remain as vibrant as ever, untainted by the worlds' problems. It reminded her that maybe everything will turn out okay in the end.

She supposed she would just have to wait and see for herself.

* * *

 ** _The End._**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **First off, I want to apologize for the sudden schedule change. Since I'm nearing finals and all, the story hasn't exactly been my main priority. I hope you all understand.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, yes, this is the end, _however_ , though this is the end of Roxas and Naminé's story, I still have a few more chapters in mind. Granted, I make no guarantees that the chapters will continue their story, so just a heads up as to what's coming up. Also, for those chapters I currently have no set schedule for when they come out, but that may change as well. More than likely I'll end up editing and uploading as soon as I finish the chapters.**

 **Oh, and the story mentioned earlier was 'The Tell-Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't already. Nice little short story to read before it's time to hit the hay.**

 **Also, 60 reviews, holy fuck. Thanks a bunch! Man, I would've never imagined getting that many when I first started writing. Hell, even getting twenty was something like a dream back then. So again, thank you so much for all who reviewed! And of course thanks to all my silent readers too!**

 **Lastly, a little something to chew on before I go. Even though a lot of people think A.I.'s such as Roxas are either still a thing of science fiction or a long ways off into the future, what people tend to forget is that they're already here. Sure, they're not being sold at your local Wal-Mart or anything, but they do definitely exist. If you do some research into it, you'll see what I mean. So, with that being said, how would you think you would react if androids were to be unveiled to the public? Would you be pro-A.I. or anti-A.I.? Just a small question I was wondering while writing the story.**

 **Alrighty, well, I've said all I wanted to say. Again, thank you so much to everyone who has read the story and are reading this right now. Since this is my first multi-chapter story, I have to say I really like how it's turned out. Of course, looking back I cringe at all the grammar mistakes that slipped past me while editing, but all in all, I'm pretty satisfied with it. I'm glad I took a chance and decided to post it. :) So, without further ado, thank you for reading, and if you decide to read the other chapters I'll see you then, and to those who don't, have a good one.**


	26. A Brief Explanation

It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been meaning to write this for a long time, but school has been keeping me busy along with other events happening in my life.

Anyways, to make this short, last chapter I hinted at an epilogue, and though that was my intention (and I have some of it written down) I've chosen to not include those chapters. Reason being the entire work lacked quality, and also it wasn't essential at all to the plot. I think when I first wrote it I was trying to prolong the story's official end, but in the process I forced myself to try to finish something that was already completed, if that makes any sense. Basically I wrote a chapter that didn't need to be written, and I ultimately wrote that piece out of obligation rather that out of love for the story. It made me want to procrastinate since it felt more like work writing it. I don't want to do that to myself. If I write something, I want it to be because I want to, not because I feel like I have to.

So, that's my extremely short reason for not uploaded an epilogue like I said before, and I know most have probably forgotten this story already, but I would like to apologize to those who were actually looking forward to the epilogue.

That being said, if anyone is interested in knowing what the epilogue was about (again, not essential to the story at all), feel free to message me and I'd be glad to sate your curiosity. :) Have a wonderful day/night, everyone.


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